Discovering the Legend 3: Read Prisoner of Azkaban
by RoseDragonWitch
Summary: Sequel to Chamber of Secrets. They've just finished Harry's first 2 years and are finally about to start year 3. Now Sirius will have to listen to his darkest memories and face up to his own past. Can he handle everything life and magic throws at them?
1. Prologue: The Quibbler's Article

**I own nothing. I don't own Harry Potter. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am merely trying to create this made-up series for others to read and enjoy.**

**Prologue: The Quibbler's Article**

Sirius slept in all morning, only to wake up to a mind-grain headache thanks to all the firewhisky he drank the night before after everyone else had left. But it was the only way he was sure that he wouldn't have nightmares about his twelve year old godson trapped in a dark chamber with carved pillars… and a monstrous snake—with fangs which resembled sabers—that had blood dripping from its punctured eyes and sinking its fangs into Harry.

He opened his own eyes at long last to the late afternoon and spent what felt like ages staring up at his blank ceiling, completely lost in his thoughts. During his own first year at Hogwarts, the worse that he had to worry about was getting detention for some stupid prank he pulled—Harry? He had to worry about trolls, jinxed brooms, illegal dragons, giant three-headed dogs, being sent into the Forbidden Forest and almost being killed by Voldemort.

As for his second year, he would get detention with James for not doing their homework before he would go out onto the grounds and lay in the sun, enjoying the feeling of freedom.

Whereas Harry had to worry about some power-hungry psychopath attacking students, hidden chambers, talking spiders, illegal potions, hearing snakes in the walls and acting the part of a knight in shining armor rescuing the damsel in distress.

Sirius groaned as he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, thinking just how much it must've taken for his godson and his friends to pull off all those stunts in their second year. Hermione risked getting killed by a Basilisk to help her friends solve the mystery, Ron had faced his worse fear of spiders in the forest to help find a way to end the attacks, and Harry…

He forced his tried and worn-out body to sit up. He ran his hand through his tangled hair—Harry risked his life for a girl that he barely knew. He went and jumped straight into danger to save his best friend's little sister and killed that monster for her. He couldn't imagine just how terrified that it must've been for someone so young.

And soon they were going to be starting on the third year… the year that Sirius had been dreading the most. This was the year where he finally made an appearance. This was the year that Harry was told that his parents were betrayed by their best friend.

He knew that there were going to be parts of the book where it would feel like a knife in his heart. He knew that this next book was going to be the most difficult of them all for him. Before discovering his innocence, Harry would've been told the lies that he had betrayed Lily and James. He knew that this would mean that, at some point, he will have to read how Harry had hated him.

He wasn't going to lie to himself… he was terrified of reading about how Harry thought about him during that year. He didn't think that he could bring himself to read it.

He didn't bother going downstairs that day because he knew that no one but that foul waste of house-elf skin, would be there down there. But now that he thought of it, he hadn't seen Kreacher since the day they started reading… not that he was complaining… being trapped in this house was bad enough without that accursed elf hanging around. But for some reason, he remembered Dobby and how he rebelled against his former masters and it ended up costing them dearly. Maybe he would try to be a little bit nicer to Kreacher?

Ha! Good luck with that.

No, other than Kreacher, there wasn't anyone in the house, except for Buckbeak of course who was still in his mother's room. (He put the hippogriff in there hoping that he would destroy the room.) Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape—he sneered at that last name—were all back at school teaching the students and dealing with Umbridge. Tonks, Kingsley, and Arthur were at work, Molly had returned home, and Remus was off dealing with the werewolves for the Order.

As for Mad-Eye Moody… who knows where he was right now.

A part of him wanted to hurry and get started on the third book just to have something to do…

But he was afraid, he felt ashamed at himself for admitting it, but he didn't think he could face the next hardback without Remus there—so he waited.

_*A few days later*_

Almost a week later, Remus had finally returned after a particularly bad transformation the night before. Sirius had locked himself in with Buckbeak, stroking his friend's beak as he became lost in his own thoughts of misery when he heard the doorbell ring. Longing to hear the sound of a human voice, he got up and ran downstairs to see Moony standing on the front step… or trying to stand up anyway. He was so weak that he couldn't stand on his own, fighting hard not to lose consciousness.

He was a pale as a sheet, had bruise-like shadows underneath his eyes, and was covered with bite marks and scratches. He gave Sirius a look of deep relief before he collapsed; Sirius caught him before he hit the ground. Without asking what happened, he helped his oldest friend up the stairs and into Remus's room.

"You look dreadful, Moony," Sirius said as he helped him get into bed. He smirked as he tried to make a joke, "Wolf got your tongue?"

Remus only gave him a feeble attempt at a smile. "I've looked worse, believe me," he croaked in a weary voice just barely above a whisper. "I don't mean to be a burden or anything, but do you have any chocolate just lying around somewhere?"

Sirius smiled as he pulled out his wand and summoned a few chocolate frogs from the kitchen. "Was wondering when you were going to ask me that."

He caught the few frogs and handed one to Remus who at it slowly. "How have things been going?" he asked in concern. Remus smiled grimly.

"Not very well," he replied hoarsely. "I'm afraid that hardly any of the werewolves want anything to do with Dumbledore. Especially with Greyback around. He made it clear that any werewolf who isn't on Voldemort's side is as good as food to him."

Sirius growled angrily. "That nutjob werewolf that likes to bite kids?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes," Remus groaned as he laid the empty wrapper next to him. "He's very hard to argue with." He forced another weak smile before he shut his eyes, whether in pain or tiredness, Sirius couldn't tell.

"I don't know what we're going to do," Remus muttered to himself. "Things seem to be getting worse by the day. Voldemort's on the move, and Fudge is as good as helping him."

Sirius nodded and stayed by his side the whole time, talking to his friend until Moony had fallen asleep. Just before his eyes closed however, he croaked out feebly, "Looks like I'm going to be here for a little while. Once Tonks comes by, you think we can start on year three?"

Sirius tensed up and didn't say anything, fear going through him once again at the thought of the books. He had locked them in a trunk up in his room since the night they finished the Chamber of Secrets. He couldn't help but feel humiliated that he was afraid. HIM! Sirius Black… a man who broke out of the most terrifying place on earth… and been on the run for over two years—was afraid to read a book!

Remus must've known how he felt however because he reached over and placed a hand on top of his own. "I know that you must be nervous about reading," he said gently. "I know that you must be scared about reading how Harry must've felt about you when he thought that you were trying to kill him… but that's in the past. Don't be angry with him."

"I could never be angry with him," Sirius told him softly in a voice almost as hoarse as Remus's. "But you're forgetting that this is the year that he thought that I betrayed his parents… I'm afraid to know what he thought of me… he would've hated me and wanted me dead before he found out that I was innocent."

"He didn't know," Remus smiled kindly. "But he knows now, and that's all that matters. Besides, don't you want to hear about all the good things? This was the year that he got the Marauders map, won the Quidditch cup with the broom that _you_ gave him, and I'm sure that he must've snuck into Hogsmeade at least once that year. This was the year that me and Hagrid both started teaching and let's not forget, Harry learned the patronus and used it to save us all the night that Peter escaped. Remember how he and Hermione saved you…? You know I've always wondered how they did it. And I'm sure that you would want to read how Harry felt when he learned about your innocence… don't you?"

Sirius thought about all of this, and a smile slowly spread across his face. Yes, that would be nice to read… and Moony was right—again. Even if Harry did hate him during that year, he didn't know the truth, and his hatred for him quickly vanished when Harry found out everything. He smiled even wider at the memory of Harry agreeing so quickly when he had offered him a home… oh it was one of his happiest memories. And this could be his only chance to find out how he and Hermione were able to get Buckbeak to him that night…

He took a deep breath and said, "Alright, you win. Once you're better, and Tonks turns up then we'll read the next book. Why don't you get some sleep now? God knows you need it."

Remus gave him another grateful smile and in no time, was gently dozing with Sirius sitting right beside him.

_*The next day at school*_

Albus was enjoying his breakfast for a change when his usual owl, carrying his copy of the Quibbler landed right in front of him. Albus had long since given up reading the Daily Prophet, and he always found the views of Xenophilius Lovegood very interesting as well as entertaining. He particularly enjoyed the article where it said that Fudge has been cooking Goblins in pies.

He picked up his copy, expecting to see another article of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack sighting, but he was stunned at what it read today.

**SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN**

He had to read the title several times for him to comprehend what it said before he turned to the Gryffindor table just in time to see a flock of owls land right where Harry was sitting. He watched as he and his friends tore open the pile of letters they had delivered and talk excitedly among themselves.

He looked back at the article, completely lost in thought. When on earth did this happen? When and how did Harry give an interview?

He looked down at the writer, and he felt his jaw drop. Rita Skeeter? When did she start writing about the truth? At that moment, he looked up in time to see Umbridge walking towards Harry with a disapproving look on her face. He quickly turned away as Flitwick started asking him about the Quibbler.

_*The Burrow*_

Molly yawned widely as she prepared a small breakfast for her and Arthur. She had grown used to the quiet house by now… but still, it felt empty whenever she looked up, expecting to see Ginny or one of her boys come running in and complain, usually about Fred and George, and ask for things to be fixed or asking about dinner.

Every time she did that, she was hit with the reality that her children were growing up and away from home. Sighing, she glanced up at the family clock every now and again. Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and—she sighed sadly again—Percy's hands were all on _Work_. Hers was on the word _Home_… and everyone else was at _School_.

Lately, her husband was forced to work the nightshift, and she often found it so lonely during the day… she finished with the stack of sausages and started to eat as she thought of those books. It was one thing to hear the story from Harry's mouth 3 years ago about how he saved her little girl, but reading what really happened from Harry's point of view was so much worse.

And when she thought of her Ron in the forest, confronting his worse fears… she smiled proudly as well as worriedly. He was a true Gryffindor alright. Though she was also sure that the encounter with the spiders did not help with his worse fear. She wished with all her heart that her children were all still home with her so that she would know without the shadow of a doubt that they were all safe. Harry and Hermione, who she considered like her own children, included.

Which brought up another important subject… Sirius Black.

She didn't get a chance to talk to him after they finished with year two. She thought of going over to see him this last week, but she just couldn't seem to bring herself to be in the company of anyone else besides her husband. But she knew that she would have to confront Sirius sooner or later. So she promised herself that when she next saw him, she would find the chance to talk to him… and apologize.

She looked back up at the clock, and jumped up when Arthur's hand moved from _Work_ to _Traveling_. About a minute later, it landed on _Home_, and she heard his urgent voice from outside, "MOLLY!"

"Coming Arthur!" she cried, glad to not have to be alone anymore. "I just finished breakfast and…" she opened the door to see him standing there with an amazed look on his face and he was out of breath.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously as he stumbled into the house.

He gasped for air, "I was just leaving work when Perkins came to me and handed me this!" He held out a copy of the Quibbler.

She pressed her lips in a disapproving way. "Dear, everyone knows that the Quibbler is nothing but a complete…" but she never had a chance to finish because he pushed the article right underneath her nose to see Harry's face and the words… **SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN**

Startled, she shared a look with Arthur as she turned the page and began to read.

_*At Grimmauld Place*_

The next morning, Sirius came into the kitchen to get a surprise. Kingsley and Moody were both sitting there, pouring over a magazine, and looked up as he walked in.

"When did you two get in?" he asked in surprise.

"Just now," Kingsley replied in his calm tone.

"We just found this interesting article and thought that you would like to read it," Moody said with a grin. "I got to say, that kid's got some real guts doing this."

"Who's doing what now?" Remus asked as he limped into the kitchen right behind Sirius. After a full day's sleep, he looked nearly back to normal, thought still pale and weak like he had just gotten over a bad case of the flu.

"How are you feeling, Remus?" Kingsley asked him concerned as both men joined them at the table.

"Much better than yesterday," Remus said, sitting down next to him. "I've a bad headache, and I feel weak but nothing worse than that. But that's beside the point." He looked to the newcomers and asked, "Who were you talking about?"

Rather than explain, Kingsley pushed a magazine towards him from across the table. "I just got it this morning. I think that you might find this interesting."

Surprised, Sirius picked it up and read the name of the publication to see that it was the Quibbler. "Oh, come on," he said scathingly. "The Quibbler's nothing but rubbish. I mean… do you remember that junk they wrote about me a few months ago?"

Kingsley smiled. "I think that you might like this article… looks like Harry's doing more of letting others that Voldemort's back than we are."

Startled, Sirius turned the front page back so quickly, he almost ripped it. Not that he paid it any attention to that, Remus leaned over and started to read over his shoulder.

There, grinning sheepishly, was his godson's picture—and in large red letters across this picture were the words:

**SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN**

Sirius and Remus couldn't think of anything to say to this while Kingsley started to make some tea for them all.

"You should read it," Moody said helping himself to his flask. "I personally found it very convincing."

If Moody found something convincing, then you know it had to be good. But Sirius barely heard him, his eyes scanned over the article.

**_As soon as Cedric Diggory and I touched the Triwizard Cup during the Third Task, we were taken away, far away from Hogwarts. The cup had been a portkey… by the time that we finally landed on solid ground, we weren't anywhere near the school._**

**_We had left Hogwarts grounds completely; we had obviously traveled miles - perhaps hundreds of miles - for even the mountains surrounding the castle were no longer there. Instead of the maze that we were in, we were standing in a dark and overgrown graveyard. _**

**_Waiting there for us… or rather for me… was Lord Voldemort._**

**_Of course, Cedric and I had no idea who it was at first. All we could see was a hooded figure carrying a bundle of robes that at first, I thought was infant. Little did I know that it was just the beginning of the nightmare._**

**_I couldn't make out the servant's face, but when he came nearer, my scar burned with pain. Ever since the night that Voldemort gave me this scar, for some reason—it hurts whenever he is near me. So I knew that it could only mean one thing… he was here._**

**_I fell to my knees, trying hard to block out the pain… but I was able to hear the words in a cold, terrifying voice that I'd heard several times before call out the words, 'Kill the spare.'_**

**_I heard a wand move through the air, the spell that was screeched into the night by the servant, before I saw a blast of green light through my closed eyelids. When I heard the sound of something fall to the ground next to me—I opened my eyes… horrified of what I was about to see._**

**_There… lying dead next to me… was Cedric Diggory. _**

**_I couldn't do anything but stare at his gray eyes that were open and glassy and that looked slightly surprised in death… I couldn't move, couldn't think—that was when the servant, Wormtail, or rather his real name Peter Pettigrew, pulled me to my feet. Peter Pettigrew was the real Death Eater who framed Sirius Black, an innocent man, for the crimes that he had actually committed before he faked his own death and went into hiding for all these years._**

**_Wormtail had put down the bundle of robes and dragged me to a large marble headstone with the name, Tom Riddle—Voldemort's father—engraved upon it._**

**_Wormtail had conjured up ropes and tied me to the grave that I couldn't move or run. He then gagged me and left for a short time. I was tied so tightly, that I could only look at what was in front of me. Cedric's body was lying just twenty feet away from me, as well as the Triwizard Cup and my wand—but also the bundle of robes was at my feet, and it seemed to be moving. _**

**_I can't explain how I knew, but I just somehow knew that I didn't want to see what was inside it. I just knew that whatever was in there, couldn't be a good thing. And a few minutes later, the largest snake that I had ever seen in my life was slithering through the overgrown grass and circling the headstone where I was tied… almost like it was impatient to shallow me whole. _**

**_I was so focused on the snake that I didn't see Wormtail until he came into my line of sight and was dragging a large stone cauldron, large for a full-grown man to sit in and it seemed to be full of water._**

**_Whatever was inside the robes on the ground was stirring as though it was trying to free itself. Wormtail on the other hand was trying to light the cauldron as the snake slithered away out of my sight._**

**_But the liquid in the cauldron began to bubble so I didn't pay too much attention to the snake. It water sent out sparks like whatever was in it was actually fire instead of a liquid. As steam began to billow out, the thing in the robes shouted at his servant to hurry._**

**_Once the water began to glimmer, Wormtail had told his master that it was ready. I didn't understand what he meant until it was too late to try and stop it. He was talking about the ritual to restore Voldemort to his body._**

**_Wormtail had bent down and picked up what was in the bundle, and I had seen what it was at last, though I wish that I never did. It was the most horrible creature that I had ever seen in my life. Imagine seeing the form of a human child that was revolting, slimy, and burnt - but worse, a hundred times worse. Many times, I had tried to forget it—but it haunts my dreams. A hairless and raw, reddish black creature that was so weak that it couldn't move on its own. _**

**_But it's face was what scared me the most. Flat and snakelike—with cold, red eyes that held no mercy or compassion._**

**_Yes, this was what Voldemort was reduced to for all these years._**

**_Even Wormtail was repulsed by what his master had become. I could see the revulsion in his pale rat-like face as he carried Voldemort to the cauldron._**

**_Wormtail dropped Voldemort into the cauldron and he sank to the bottom. I silently begged that the creature would drown as Wormtail raised his wand and shouted out the words, 'Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!'_**

**_That was when the ground at my feet had cracked and dust rose into the air before falling into the cauldron where Voldemort was waiting. The surface of the water hissed and it turned to a shade of the most poisonous-looking blue._**

**_At this point, the whimpering Wormtail pulled out a dagger and sobbed out, _****_'Flesh - of the servant - w-willingly given - you will - revive - your master.'_**

**_He then held up his right hand, a hand with a missing finger and swung… knowing what he was about to do, and not being able to bear watching it, I just closed my eyes. But though I could shut my eyes, I couldn't block my ears when I heard Wormtail scream. _**

**_I heard him fall to the ground before there was a sickening splash and I knew that the hand that he chopped off was also dropped into the cauldron. That was when the potion had turned a blood red._**

**_I could hear Wormtail crying in pain, but it wasn't until I felt his breath on my face did I know that he was right in front of me. He choked out the words, _****_'B-blood of the enemy… forcibly taken… you will… resurrect your foe.'_**

**_There wasn't anything that I could do to stop him. I was tied to the grave as he raised the dagger and pressed the point into my right arm. I could feel my blood seeping down as Wormtail pulled out a vial and caught a few drops of it._**

**_Once he was done with me, he turned back to the cauldron, with my blood this time, and poured it in. The red potion had turned white and Wormtail fell to his knees and cried as he held the bleeding stump of an arm to him._**

**_The potion in the meantime was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that it turned all else to velvety blackness. But still nothing happened…_**

**_I hoped again and again that everything had gone wrong, but knowing my luck, it just got worse._**

**_Finally, white steam appeared and covered everything like a thick fog so that I couldn't see anything that wasn't within a foot of me._**

**_And then I saw him. _**

**_Through the mist, I could see with waves of terror, the outline of a tall and skeletally thin man, rising up from the cauldron. He stepped out, and stared at me like a wolf stalking his wounded prey… while he examined his new body. I was forced to stare into the face that had haunted my nightmares ever since I first arrived at Hogwarts._**

**_A face whiter than a skull, that had scarlet eyes with slits like a cat's, and a nose that was so flat that it resembled a snake…_**

**_Lord Voldemort had risen again._**

Sirius couldn't read anymore. He suddenly felt sick. So instead he gave it to Remus who read it all the way through before putting it slowly down on the table. For a minute, no one spoke.

"I thought that it was bad hearing it second-hand from Dumbledore," Remus croaked. "But this…"

"I can't believe that he was forced to watch all that," Sirius stated quietly, his hatred for Wormtail rising, feeling like it was about to burst. How can someone actually be as rotten to actually do that to his best friend's son?

"Maybe now," Moody said quietly with another look at the Quibbler, "People will finally start to see that the boy hasn't been lying and that maybe the Ministry's run by a paranoid idiot."

This was the man who saw enemies around every corner and he was calling someone else paranoid. Ironic.

Before anyone could say anything to that, the doorbell rang, which caused two things. The first was Remus getting up with surprising speed—despite his weakened state—and running into the hall. And the second was Sirius's mother's portrait to start screaming.

He heard the door opening, a slight bang, and the screaming stopped.

A few seconds later, Tonks came running in, her hair ebony black today—and was carrying a copy of the Quibbler in her hands. "Did you guys hear…?!" she started until she saw Kingsley, Moody, and the magazine on the table. Her face fell, "Awww, I wanted to tell you!"

"When did this come out?" Remus demanded as he came in.

"Yesterday, I think," Kingsley replied. "I just arrived at work and I heard some of my associates talking about it."

"So naturally, he told me, and we both came here to let you know," Moody said as his magical eye was spinning around reading the paper. "I think that maybe people will start to see some sense and realize that it's the Ministry that's the problem not Potter or Dumbledore."

"When did he do this though?" Sirius asked with a high-pitched laugh incredulously. "When did Harry do this?"

Everyone else shrugged. "No idea," Tonks said in an awed voice. "But it must've taken a lot for him to do it. But what really gets me is that it's Rita Skeeter who wrote it!"

"That cow?" Sirius yelled out furiously. "But it sounds so… so…"

"True?" Tonks finished for him. "I know! That's what really gets me. How on earth did they convince someone like Rita to do this?"

"Serious blackmail is my bet," Mad-Eye laughed. "Love to know what they threatened her with when they told her to write this."

"As soon as I read this, I thought about the books," Tonks told them. "And I think that we should start year three today! If not right now!"

She looked meaningfully at Remus as she finished, who nodded. He then looked to Sirius. "It's your call Sirius. Should we start today?"

Sirius thought about it… truthfully, he was still scared to death of what he might hear… but everything else…

"Yeah," he said at last. "I'll get the books, you see if you can contact anyone else who wants to read, I'll meet you in the drawing room."

**(I always wanted to read the Quibbler's article… so I just did it myself. Hope you like it, and wish me luck because I have to go back to classes in a few hours. I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I can. And I hope that everything works out for the best and I get to keep my stories up. Thank you everyone for the support you gave me when I told you that they might actually be taking down my Chamber of Secrets chronicle. I'm doing everything I can to prevent it from happening… I guess only time will tell.)**


	2. Preview: Reading The Prisoner of Azkaban

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Preview: Reading The Prisoner of Azkaban**

_*Albus Dumbledore*_

With article from the Quibbler in his hand, he stared out his office window and watched as the students headed down for Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures… but truthfully, he wasn't really seeing them. He had just reread the article about Harry's interview for the 7th time and even after all this, he was still having a difficult time admitting, even to himself, that everything he suspected about Voldemort was not only possible, but most likely certain.

He had long since suspected this of Tom… but now he finally had to face the facts. Tom Riddle had created Horcruxes, meaning more than one, and hid them all to keep himself from dying. What he read about the Riddle in the diary from the second book confirmed it for him. There was no possible way that a mere memory could've done all that. Possess and grain the life energy out of a young girl, open the Chamber of Secrets, call the Basilisk, and attack all those students as nothing more than a memory? No, he was willing to bet everything that the diary became Tom's very first Horcrux.

Tom created it when he was still 16, and from when he committed his very first murder of Myrtle. The diary belonged to Tom, and was proof that he was Slytherin's heir… so he considered it of great importance. That was why it was chosen to become the vessel of his own precious soul.

But if that was the case… then Tom didn't seem to be too concerned about that piece of his soul. He knew that Tom never would've trusted anyone enough to tell them exactly what the diary was, but to carelessly hand the book to Lucius just like that? If he truly intended to have diary passed on, some future Hogwarts student, he was being remarkably indifferent about that fragment of his soul concealed within it.

Which could only mean that it was only his first Horcrux… was intended to be used as a weapon as much as a protection. It worked as a Horcrux was supposed to work and protected its owner from death. But there could be no doubt that Tom really wanted that diary read, wanted the piece of him to unleash Slytherin's monster once again.

The careless way in which Voldemort regarded this Horcrux never seemed right to him. So either Tom was confident that no one would ever be able to destroy it… or he must have made more Horcruxes, so that the loss of his first would not be so damaging.

He didn't want to believe it, but nothing else make any sense; no matter how many times the considered other possibilities. But then, Harry told him on the night that Voldemort returned to his body and gave a speech to his Death Eaters… _'I who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality.' _

Yes, he knew that Tom was referring to his Horcruxes. He never thought that it would be possible for someone to split their soul more than once. But after everything that he had seen Tom capable of over the years… he seemed to grow less human until finally he had been reduced to nothing but this shadow of the Tom Riddle that he once taught himself.

Which left one important question, just how many Horcruxes are there?

The sound of footsteps behind him brought him back down to earth and he turned around in time to see his office door open. Severus and Minerva walked in, both looking pale and urgent… it must be important for them to feel that they had to come here.

"We just got a message from Remus," Minerva told him a little hurriedly. Albus fought a smile, anyone who didn't know her as well as he did, would've been fooled. But he could tell that she was eager to read the book almost as much as he was. "They decided to start reading on the third book now. To be honest, I'm surprised that they managed to wait this long to find out more of what happens. Dumbledore, do you feel like we should all go as well?"

Albus thought that over. Yes, he wanted to go and read more, but…

"No," he sighed regretfully. He noticed their taken aback expressions and explained, "Don't get me wrong. I wish to go over and read as well… but I'm afraid that we can't leave the school unprotected right now. After all, you both saw the way that Sybill was fired just yesterday and I don't feel right leaving the school after all that. But…" he added in an afterthought because they both looked severely disappointed. "If you both want to go, then by all means," he finished kindly.

Really, just because he couldn't leave didn't mean that they shouldn't go. "I'm sure that I can go later on in the book, but until then, we all have to be careful. Especially with Umbridge looking for any excuse to force us to leave."

He watched both of their expressions for a moment before they looked at each other, and just shrugged. As if they didn't care. They left soon after that, to leave Albus alone with his thoughts once again. He smiled at their retreating backs however, knowing that they were also dying to learn what happens.

Albus turned back to the window to look out at the now empty grounds, wondering what he should do. His thoughts turned from Voldemort, to the memory of the boy who had brought to him the diary.

He thought back to the same young child that used to feel comfortable enough around him to tell him all his worries and fears that day. Dumbledore bowed his head once more, more ashamed than he had been in a very long time. To lose Harry's trust and confidence like that… he knew deserved it, yes, he could admit that much. But still, it felt like heavy blow to him, losing the trust of someone that he cared for so much.

Albus' chest tightened, and he felt as if a heavy and terrible knot had formed inside his stomach. Albus wanted to explain everything to Harry, tell him everything… as expected from someone who was as selfish as he was, he wanted to explain the reasons for all his actions, now and in the past.

He was aware that Harry resented him; maybe even hate him after all he had done. He was selfish enough that he didn't want Harry to think so little of him like this, even though he knew that it wasn't undeserved. In the past, he had taken many things for granted but one thing that he never did was that Harry thought so highly of him, even when he knew he didn't deserve it.

_*Minerva McGonagall*_

Minerva had just gotten into yet another argument with Umbridge… or rather the Toad. She had confronted her for how she had humiliated Sybill last night in front of the whole school. But the Toad just gave her that girlish laugh that made her want nothing more than to strangle the hag.

Sure, she had always thought of Sybill as a fraud and a substandard teacher—but what that Toad did was inexcusable. She had let out the exact words that she had been dying to call the Toad ever since she first arrived this year… all of which happened to be very colorful.

Umbridge had become truly power-hungry and paranoid these last few months and threatened her to ban Gryffindor from playing Quidditch ever again if she kept this up. Minerva had no choice but to storm off in a huff after that.

She had just gone back to her office in a fury to finish grading papers for her sixth years—but she was so angry that she accidently stabbed an essay so hard with the quill that she punctured a large hole in it. Just as she pulled out her wand to fix her mistake, the form of a large silver wolf had appeared right in front of her desk.

The sudden sight of the wolf had caused her to jump out of her seat in shock, only to realize that it was Remus's Patronus. The beautiful silver wolf opened its muzzle and Remus's voice came out, _"We decided to read the third book today. Will you be joining us?"_

And just like that, it faded away to silver mist.

Minerva stood there, stunned for a few seconds before she finally snapped back to reality and ran off to inform Dumbledore. She was heading up to his office, only to run (almost literally) into Severus right in front of the stone gargoyle.

"Minerva!" he called out, stopping just in time to prevent himself colliding with the older teacher.

"Do watch where you're going, Severus," she said as she stopped dead. Severus looked like he was biting back a retort before he glanced around to make sure that the two of them were alone. He then said quietly, "I assume that you got Lupin's message?"

She blinked in surprise, before she nodded. "I was just going to ask Dumbledore what he thought we should do. It's been a week since we were last there after all and with Umbridge breathing down our necks, it doesn't feel safe to do anything anymore."

He nodded in agreement and they approached the gargoyle. "Fizzing Whizzbee," Minerva stated clearly, and the gargoyle leapt aside to reveal the way to Dumbledore's office. They both climbed the spiraling staircase, to end up right in front of the familiar door. They knocked, and entered to see Dumbledore standing there, staring outside the window, with a copy of the Quibbler in his hands, and looking completely lost in thought.

He turned to look at them politely and Minerva said briskly, "We just got a message from Remus. They decided to start reading on the third book right now. To be honest, I'm surprised that they managed to wait this long to find out more of what happens. Dumbledore, do you feel like we should all go as well?"

She watched him think this over, slightly disappointed that he was taking his time in answering. And finally, muttered a sad, "No."

Minerva was stunned by his answer. Out of the three of them, Albus was the one who was the most curious about the books.

"Don't get me wrong," he said, quickly. "I wish to go over and read as well… but I'm afraid that we can't leave the school unprotected right now. After all, you both saw the way that Sybill was fired just yesterday and I don't feel right leaving the school after all that. But… If you both want to go, then by all means," he finished kindly. "I'm sure that I can go later on in the book, but until then, we all have to be careful. Especially with Umbridge looking for any excuse to force us to leave."

Minerva frowned as she thought it all over. It was true that she did want to read more, but she didn't think that it would be good if she left, just in case that Toad should try something. Besides, she was sure that she could read it another time once they got rid of Fudge's absurd henchman. She would wait until she was sure that it was safe for her to leave the school.

She turned and left with Severus; going to straight back to her office to give Remus her answer.

_*Severus Snape*_

Severus was in his dungeons, staring up at the ceilings with a glowering look like he trying to forget something. He turned over on his bed and thought about everything he had learned the last few days. He so badly wanted to believe that what he read was nothing but a lie… but he had seen the memories in Potter's mind… and he knew that those books weren't just made up stories.

He bit his lower lip. He had always believed that the boy had an easy childhood. Being spoiled rotten and worshipped over every little thing like his father had been… but instead, he read about a scared, modest, abused little boy that had absolutely no confidence and didn't hesitate for a second to risk his own life for someone else. If the boy's name hadn't been part of the title then he would've sworn that it was about someone else.

Why was it that everything he ever thought about the boy seemed to be the exact opposite? He sat up, trying to get the images of that little boy who used to sit in a cupboard and cry, out of his head. Why was it that James Potter's son acted more like his mother than anything else?

He hit his forehead with his fist, as if hoping to knock this new knowledge out of his head. He shut his eyes, trying to close his mind. Lily… lovely Lily. Not a day went by that he didn't think of her. She was the only reason why he would bother protecting the son of his most hated enemy. The son of the man who took the one thing that he loved…

And yet… the son was so much more like Lily had been than his father. How was this possible?

He didn't know how long he sat there; it felt like a couple hours… but finally, just when he was wondering if it would be worth it to make himself a Forgetfulness Potion, a familiar silver form appeared in his bedroom. He looked up, grumpily—to see Lupin's wolf appear and said before it faded away, _"We decided to read the third book today. Will you be joining us?"_

He thought about it for a minute. They would now be reading about Potter's third year, and this meant that he would be hearing parts where Potter thought that Black would be trying to kill him. He smiled at the cruel thought. Which means that he would be hearing things when Potter would've hated and insulted Black. Oh, to see the look on that arrogant Black's face when he heard of his beloved godson wanting to kill him.

He got up to let Dumbledore know that Lupin contacted him. He left his room, trying to put those memories he saw from Potter's mind out of his head. In fact, he was trying so hard to forget, he barely noticed Minerva on her way to the Headmaster's office as well and nearly ran her over.

"Minerva!" he called out, stopping just in time to prevent himself colliding with her.

"Do watch where you're going, Severus," she said as she stopped dead. He glared at her, wanting to tell her that she should watch where _she_ was going, but he noticed her angry expression, and something told him that bothering her right now was not the wisest thing to do. So instead, he looked around to make sure that there weren't any students, Peeves, or thankfully Umbridge before he said in an undertone. "I assume that you got Lupin's message?"

A look of slight surprise came over her angry features and she nodded dully, "I was just going to ask Dumbledore what he thought we should do. It's been a week since we were last there after all."

It felt a bit strange that they were asking for permission from an old man to do something, but he knew that it was probably for the best at the moment, even if he didn't like it. He watched as Minerva approached the gargoyle and said clearly, "Fizzing Whizzbee."

When they finally reached the office door, he knocked, and just walked in without bothering to wait for an answer. He wasn't at all surprised to see the old man standing there… he was surprised however to see that he was carrying a copy of the Quibbler in his hands and looking… upset? What on earth could he be upset about?

When Dumbledore realized that he had visitors, he turned around to look at them with his eyebrows raised a little, and a tiny smile playing on his lips. McGonagall stepped forward and said, "We just got a message from Remus. They decided to start reading on book three right now. To be honest, I'm surprised that they managed to wait all this time. It's been a week since we were last there after all and with Umbridge breathing down our necks, it doesn't feel safe to do anything anymore."

Dumbledore blinked once, clearly thinking this over, but then said one word that startled him. "No."

This was something that he didn't expect. He thought for sure that Dumbledore would be the first one to take off and head straight for Grimmauld Place to read more about his precious Golden Boy Potter.

Dumbledore must've noticed their stunned faces because he said swiftly, "Don't get me wrong, I wish to go over and read as well… but I'm afraid that we can't leave the school unprotected right now. After all, you both saw the way that Sybill was fired just yesterday and I don't feel right leaving the school after all that."

Severus shifted uncomfortably, thinking about what he would do if he was ever forced to leave the school. He bit his tongue to keep himself from saying anything stupid, but he did feel a small amount of pity for the woman that she had to be humiliated in front of everyone like that. His eyes narrowed slightly—he knew all too well what that was like.

Dumbledore went on, "But… If you both want to go, then by all means. I'm sure that we can go later on in the book, but until then, we have to be careful. Especially with Umbridge looking for any excuse to force us to leave."

Severus looked over at Minerva to see her frowning slightly before she nodded. And he knew that she wasn't going to be leaving either. He wasn't going to be the one who showed up to read on his own. So he decided that he wasn't going either. They could read all they want to… not that he cared or anything of course. So he turned and left, going back to his dungeon to try and see if he could find something else to do.

_*Arthur Weasley*_

Arthur watched sadly as his wife finally put down the Quibbler along with her piece of toast—looking a little sick. He reached out and took her hand as she looked like she was about to cry. She looked up at him and returned his grip and forced herself to smile as she looked up at the family clock.

For a long time, neither one said anything, until finally she whimpered, "I can't believe everything they went through," he felt his heart ache—not just for Molly, but for all of his children, Harry, Hermione, and everyone else who had been dragged into this war. Molly was staring so intently at the clock that she didn't notice that he was about to answer her. She went on saying, "All of them… they're just kids. Twelve years old, for Merlin's sake and they already have done so much. The forest, the Polyjuice potion, cursed diaries…" she trailed off. "I mean, how can that _man_ let this happen?!"

Arthur knew right away that she was referring to Dumbledore. Truthfully, he too was holding a great deal of resentment to his old Headmaster at the moment. He didn't know what to think anymore. His mind was telling him one thing, his heart another. He looked long and hard at his wife's anxious face and he knew that he had to say something to her.

He thought about it for a few more seconds before carefully choosing his words, "I don't know what he's thinking. But even Dumbledore can't see the future. But Dumbledore being who he is, I think that he might know more than he lets others in on."

"But what is he trying to hide so badly?" Molly asked confused. "Is it because of the prophecy? Why doesn't he let us what it says? Just what is so important about it?"

He shook his head sadly. "I wish I knew," he told her. "I'm sorry, but I really don't know. But Albus knows that Voldemort is determined to get it at all costs. So if he places that much value on it, then we have to take it serious."

Molly looked deeply troubled and she said quietly, "It's like the moment Harry was born something changed…"

Arthur frowned at that. Dumbledore didn't tell them about what the prophecy foretold. All he said was that it had something to do with Harry and Voldemort. His thoughts came to the books and he frowned even further. What were they going to do?

But before he could say anything else, a bright light suddenly came through the window and landed at their feet. They both jumped up from the table and pulled out their wands before they could see what it was.

"OH!" Molly cried out in astonishment. "Remus!"

The silver wolf formed in front of them both and said in Remus's calm voice, _"We decided to read the third book today. Will you be joining us?"_

Molly looked back to Arthur as soon as the wolf had faded. "What do we do?" she whispered. "I want to read more, anything at all so that I might have some idea on how to help Harry even a little bit, but… but we're reading Harry's memories and thoughts without his permission… I know it's wrong but…"

Arthur looked at her and gave her a grim smile. He knew how she felt because he had been thinking about it for the last week. It felt wrong to go behind Harry's back and read about all about his life, without him knowing about it. And they both knew that Harry wouldn't appreciate it if he knew. But if this helped them, help Harry… then was it right or wrong? Was there even an answer to that?

"I know," he whispered to her. "But if we want to help Harry, and maybe find some clue to how we can end this war, then it will be worth it won't it? If we can spare Harry and everyone else any kind of pain…"

She nodded with a rather determine look and they left.

_*Molly Weasley*_

She couldn't stand to look at the Quibbler anymore so put it and her half-eaten piece of toast down and pushed it away from her as she stared off at the clock. Staring long and hard at each name written there. It felt as though as long as she kept staring at those names, it felt as if she could protect her husband and children from Voldemort. As long as she could stare at their names, then they would be safe…

But they weren't safe… no one was anymore.

This was worse than anything she had ever heard of. How on earth could a mere child be forced to go through this? How could you expect for a child to grow up so quickly and fill a place in this fight that was impossible to fill?

She felt Arthur's hand take her own, and with a great effort looked away from the clock to look him in the eye. For a long time, neither one said anything, until finally she whispered, "I can't believe everything they went through." Unable to look at him any longer, she looked back up to her children's names.

"All of them… they're just kids. Twelve years old, for Merlin's sake and they already have done so much. The forest, the Polyjuice potion, cursed diaries…" she couldn't finish, just thinking of that damn diary made her furious. "I mean, how can that _man_ let this happen?!"

How can anyone actually allow someone, children no less, to go through all this? Just what was he expecting from Harry and everyone else? What did he know that the rest of them didn't? Now, she knew Dumbledore ever since she went to school, he was the one who led the resistance against Voldemort during the first war, and was the only one who could lead it now.

But what was he thinking? What was he planning? She watched the turmoil in her husband's face for a brief moment before he finally said very slowly, "I don't know what he's thinking. But even Dumbledore can't see the future. But Dumbledore being who he is, I think that he might know more than he lets others in on."

"But what is he trying to hide so badly?" she demanded desperately, wanting to know what she could do to try and stop any further pain. "Is it because of the prophecy? Why doesn't he let us in on what it says? Just what is so important about it?"

He just shook his head with sadness in his eyes. "I wish I knew," he said in a depressed voice. "I'm sorry, but I really don't know. But Albus knows that Voldemort is determined to get it at all costs. So if he places that much value on it, then we have to take it serious."

Molly honestly didn't care what this prophecy had to say. Why didn't they just destroy it and have it done with? Why did this have to happen? She then came to a sudden realization and said in a quiet tone, "It's like the moment Harry was born something changed…"

Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but then a bright, silver light drove all thought from their minds. They both leapt up and drew their wands, readying themselves for a fight. At least until they saw what their _enemy_ was.

"OH!" Molly cried out in astonishment. "Remus!"

The wolf turned to them before using Remus's voice, _"We decided to read the third book today. We wanted to know if you're coming?"_

Molly looked to Arthur, wondering what they should do as soon as the Patronus faded. "What do we do? I want to read more, anything at all so that I might have some idea on how to help Harry even a little bit, but… but we're reading Harry's memories and thoughts without his permission… I know it's wrong but…"

Arthur fidgeted for a moment, and she knew that he was wondering what he should do. He then said in a tone that sounded like he was trying to convince himself rather than her,"I know," he whispered to her. "But if we want to help Harry, and maybe find some clue to how we can end this war, then it will be worth it won't it? If we can spare Harry and everyone else any kind of pain…"

She nodded a little grudgingly, and they left. Silently praying that what they were doing was right.

_*Remus Lupin*_

_"We decided to read the third book today. Will you be joining us?"_

That was the message that he sent out to Minerva, Severus, Arthur, and Molly. He would also have sent one to Albus, but the Headmaster specifically told him not to do so unless he had no other choice. It would put them all in trouble if Albus had been talking with Umbridge or anyone else who was on the Ministry's side and a Patronus appeared to tell him something about the Order.

So he just sent the four, knowing that Minerva or Severus were sure to tell him. Once that was done, he turned to Sirius who nodded and went upstairs to where he stashed the books. Remus watched him go, fully realizing just how much courage it was taking him to read that one particular book with the rest of them. He knew that it wasn't an easy thing for him to do…

But then he felt a hard poke in the back, interrupting his thoughts, along with Moody grumpily telling him to hurry it up. Remus nodded politely and led them all back to the drawing room to wait, and wondered just who was going to show up.

While they waited, Remus knew that Sirius was going to want to take his time, so he talked to the others about the article in the Quibbler and they all began to wonder just when Harry did this.

"I think the boy's got the right idea," Moody said smugly began to flip through it. "I especially loved when it mentions the names of all the Death Eaters, I wonder what they all said when they saw this."

"What makes you think that they saw it?" Tonks asked him curiously.

"Oh, use your brain, Tonks," Moody snorted. "I'm sure you've got some in that empty head somewhere. This isn't going to be kept quiet. I'm sure that this is going to be making its way back to those lousy Death Eaters soon, if they don't know already."

"True," Kingsley muttered. "While I was at work, everyone seemed to be talking about it. At least, as long as Fudge wasn't around anyway. And since most of the Death Eaters listed here work at the Ministry, then I'm sure they heard the news as well."

"But what happens now?" Remus wondered out-loud. "I'm sure that this is going to cause some people to re-think everything. Now they finally have a chance to read both sides of the story and see which one sounds like the truth. But even if they all know, we need someone to knock some sense into Fudge. As long as he continues to deny all this…"

"He's never going to admit that Voldemort's back unless someone hands him some good, hard proof," Moody said unconcerned, "Let's face it, only something big is going to make that idiot of a Minister stuff his foot in his mouth. But the rest of the world will be aware of what's happening, and if you ask me, that's what matters. And by the time that those in charge are forced to admit that they're wrong, they'll be begging us for help. I say, let them wallow in their own mistakes and ridiculous power-hungry, money-grubbing ways. How else will they learn?"

"That's a bit harsh," Tonks nodded. "But I had to agree. In fact with all the corruption in the Ministry of Magic these days, I would've quit long ago, except Dumbledore needs spies on the inside."

"We all have to do our parts," Kingsley also agreed. "As long as Voldemort continues to live, we'll have to keep fighting him."

Remus thought this all through. He opened his mouth to say something, when all of a sudden, Minerva's silver tabby cat Patronus appeared out of nowhere. They all looked around at it as it sprang up onto the table and viewed them all with its bright eyes surrounded with strange markings.

The cat opened her jaw and said plainly, _"I'm sorry, but we can't leave the school unguarded with **her** watching our every move. But I'm sure that we'll be there before the book is over."_

"Well, that's a shame," Tonks whispered as she watched the cat fade away. "I was looking forward to Mad-Eye and Dumbledore going at it again."

"He deserves it," Moody grumbled before slamming his staff hard onto the floor. "Constant vigilance! How's he going to get it through Potter's head if he doesn't take the time to explain anything?"

"Trust me, Mad-Eye," Kingsley muttered. "There are reasons."

Moody just shrugged. "Have it your way. I know full-well that we can trust the old man, but really…" he leaned back in his seat as he began to study his staff. "He's letting his feelings cloud his judgment. Someone had to say it… might as well have been me."

"You don't think that maybe you could've said it just a little bit nicer though?" Tonks whispered, remembering the tense frame and the stony look on Dumbledore's face when Moody told him off. But before he could answer her, they heard the doorbell ring—and it didn't take them long to figure out who it was.

"Sounds like Molly and Arthur my bet," Kingsley said, attempting to get up and go answer it.

"No, I'll get it!" Remus told him. He wanted to be feeling like he was doing something anyway. He got up and went into the hallway to hear Sirius's dear mother going off once again. It took him a minute to shut her up before he was able to open the door to see the two Weasleys standing there, looking pale and anxious. Nevertheless, they smiled when they saw him.

"Sorry for ringing the bell," Arthur said as he shook Remus's hand. Remus only grinned as he stood back and let them in.

"It's no problem," he assured them as they stepped over the threshold. Molly came in right behind Arthur who asked, "Did you start yet?"

As Remus gave Molly a quick one-armed hug he answered, "No, not yet. We were waiting for everyone else. I'm sorry to say that Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape won't be joining us today. Sirius just went to go get the book."

They both nodded as he led them all quietly passed the portraits and up to the room where everyone was waiting. Remus looked up in time to see Sirius finally coming back down the stairs with a decent sized, light-blue book in his arms.

Remus could just make out the words, **Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban** written in emerald green.

_*Sirius Black*_

Sirius had taken his sweet time going upstairs and collecting the third book, which was slightly larger than the last two, from the trunk. He sat there on his bedroom floor and stared at the cover for a long time; as if he was trying to memorize the image. He stared at the picture of his 13 year old godson riding Buckbeak, Hermione right behind him as they flew in front of a barred window with the shadow of a man that he recognized right away as his own…

He smiled at the memory. He'll never forget that night. He was sure that he was history… that the Dementors were going to finish him off and he would lose his soul forever. Just when he gave up all hope, there they were! Just outside the window was his ticket to freedom. Proof that Harry did care from him despite everything that happened…

He smiled at the cover… until a slash of water fell onto the book. He then realized that hot tears were falling from his face. Gritting his teeth, he furiously wiped them away. Really, what was the matter with him? He needed to snap out of it. There wasn't anything to cry over! This was all in the past—there wasn't anything that he should be crying about.

Once his eyes were dry, he let out a shuddering gasp as he forced himself to stand up and leave the room—but he took as long as he could to walk down the stairs. If he had to be honest with himself, he was still scared stiff about what he might have to read… there was no doubt about that. But he was still determined to sit through it. Whatever Harry felt about him at the time, he kept reminding himself, it was because he didn't know everything—that's it. He could do this. After all, he spent twelve years in Azkaban and with soul-sucking monsters. He could handle this right?

Just as he reached the right landing, he looked up to see Remus, Arthur, and Molly standing there. "Hey, Sirius," Molly said, and he was surprised to hear her sounding so polite to him. Raising his eyebrows, he gave her a strange look before giving them all a tired sounding hello and then they all entered the room.

"'Bout time," Moody barked, sounding impatient. "What took you both so long?"

Rather than answer, Sirius put the third book down on the table. He looked around the room and asked, "Where're the others?"

"They couldn't leave the school with Umbridge there," Remus answered a little sourly. "They should be able to come sometime later in the story however."

"Great," Tonks said cheerfully. "So who's going to read first?"

"Not me," Sirius grumbled. He just remembered that they would, no doubt, be reading about Harry's home-life with those bastards the Dursley's. After what he heard about them in the last book, they better pray that they treated his godson better this year. He glared at the book as if it was about to come to life and attack, but no one really noticed it… except for Remus of course.

"I think I can," Kingsley stated suddenly. "I still haven't had a chance to read that much."

"Good," said Remus brightly, with a side-ways glance at Sirius before picking it up and handing it over to him. "Start with the preview though."

Kingsley nodded as he flipped it over to read out, **"_For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. _**

Sirius snorted. In school he always bragged that his name would be known throughout the world someday… oh, he was infamous alright! But not in the way that he intended to be! He wanted to spend the rest of his life fighting Voldemort and anyone else who practiced the Dark Arts.

But instead he was accused of doing it himself.

Those were twelve years of wrong imprisonment for something he never did! He never even got a trail for crying out loud! And even after breaking out of prison, he was now trapped in this hellish nightmare of a house. He was still a prisoner.

If the Ministry actually did its job all those years ago then he would've been able to let everyone know what happened! He would've been let out of Azkaban, gotten custody of Harry… and his life would've gone on.

Sure, he knew that it never would've been the same. With James and Lily both gone… he wouldn't have known what to do. He had gone from happily single, to a parent in that one night. But he would've taken it gladly. He would've taken up that title and have been thankful for it. He would've had Remus there to help him as well—once he explained what Wormtail did that is.

He was sure that the werewolf would've been all too happy to help him. He had always been good with kids after all, and he loved Harry just as much as he did. They would've made sure to have raised him in a house where he would've been loved and happy.

At least until Hagrid showed up and Harry had been taken away from him.

His fists clenched tightly. He was never going to forgive those Ministry morons for this injustice! He was going to find some way to make someone pay for those years wasted in that hell.

**_Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort. _**

"What nutjob in their right mind would believe that crap?!" Sirius growled, and they were all looking at him nervously. All of them had believed that _crap_ for those twelve years…

And if this was how Sirius was acting during the preview, they were sure that it was going to get much worse once they actually started.

**_Now he has escaped, leaving only tow clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. _**

"Well, at least that part sounds about right," Sirius said in a sadder tone. In a way, it was his defeat as well. He had lost everything that night. His friends… no, his family… his freedom… everything.

**_And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts… he's at Hogwarts."_**

"True," Remus said unhappily with a sideways glance at what remained of friend Sirius Black. "The one you were after _was_ at Hogwarts, but it wasn't who everyone thought."

Sirius shut his eyes as he leaned his head back. They hadn't even opened the book yet, and he was already finding it difficult to listen to. He hoped that they could get it over with as soon as possible.

**_Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in this midst._**

"Right in one," Sirius growled. The real rat had been under everyone's noses this whole time! Just thinking about it made him burn with fury. How was any of this fair? The rat who was the one really responsible for the deaths of Lily and James Potter was given a warm home with plenty to eat, and got to see the son of the people he betrayed everyday for two—almost three years?

Well, he was going to fix that. He was going to get Peter back for everything he did. The Ministry will be forced to see their mistakes and he'll have his name cleared. Once it was, Harry was coming to live with him, and he didn't give a damn what Dumbledore said about it.

Even if he had to kidnap Harry himself, he was going to make sure that his godson never set foot anywhere near Privet Drive again. He heard Kingsley sigh and knew that he was ready to start on chapter 1. Sirius took a deep sigh and finally opened his eyes to see that everyone was giving him a sympathetic look that he hated.

"Just read," he barked at them wearily. Just get it over with.

Kingsley nodded slowly before he took a deep breath, as if he was about to jump from a particularly high diving-board and finally opened the book to the first page. He cleared his throat and read out in a deep voice, "**Chapter 1: Owl Post**."


	3. Owl Post

******(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 1: Owl Post**

Kingsley nodded slowly before he took a deep breath, as if he was about to jump from a particularly high diving-board and finally opened the book to the first page. He cleared his throat and read out in a deep voice, "**Chapter 1: Owl Post**."

"Owl Post?" repeated Tonks eagerly as she looked over Kingsley's shoulder to see the picture of three owls carrying packages. "Cute…"

"Does that mean that Harry finally gets post from his friends? It's about time," Sirius said a little too enthusiastic.

"You don't know if that what it means" Arthur shrugged.

"What else could it mean?" Sirius asked him annoyed. Why were they trying to take away his good mood?

He held his hands up defensively, "I'm just saying, don't get your hopes up. After all, he's stuck back with the Dursely's now isn't he?"

They all groaned. "Thank you," Tonks said, giving him a rigid look. "Thank you for depressing us all!"

"Sorry," he mumbled looking like he wanted to shrink away.

**Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. **

Sirius couldn't help but snort. What a way to start a story. "Yeah, highly unusual is one way to describe him. I personally like to think of the world special."

"I can't disagree with that," Molly said as the others either shrugged or nodded.

**For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year.**

Everyone's faces darkened at that one sentence, all of them understanding why Harry hated the summer holidays so much.

"With that pathetic excuse for a family there with him?" Tonks said rolling her eyes. "I don't blame him in the slightest."

"Believe me," Sirius growled. "I know the feeling." He thought about his own horrid childhood trapped here at Grimmauld Place… and even after all these years of imprisonment in Azkaban, he was now a prisoner in the very same house he vowed that he would never return to. Thinking back to everything that happened to him here during his childhood made him sick to his stomach.

"But the whole summer isn't all bad," Arthur said, cheering up slightly. "After all, he usually spends half of it with us."

"True," Molly nodded. "But I think that he's talking about the first half."

"Like I said," Tonks muttered. "I don't blame him."

**For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night.**

"There we go," Remus smiled as Tonks and Sirius looked dumbfounded.

"You mean to tell me that he actually _wanted_ to do his homework?" Sirius whispered in horror. "That's… that's… what happened to my miniature Marauder? I had such high hopes… Harry, I thought I didn't need to tell you but homework is _bad_… evil!"

"Just because you never bothered to do it," Remus said to him sternly. "At least we know that Harry at least puts an effort into it!"

"But it's homework!" Sirius cried out as if he thought that Remus didn't understand.

"Which means that he wants to do well in school," Molly said approvingly.

**And he also happened to be a wizard.**

"How's that strange?" Tonks asked.

"Well," Remus said a little angrily, "Until his eleventh birthday, he didn't even know that magic existed. So yeah, I think that even after everything he'd been through, he would still find it a little strange."

**It was nearly midnight, and he was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a flashlight in one hand and a large leather-bound book (A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot) propped open against the pillow. Harry moved the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning as he looked for something that would help him write his essay, 'Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless — discuss.'**

"You mean we have to read about him doing homework?" Tonks asked aghast. "That's torture! It's bad enough when we all had to do it. But now we have to read about someone actually writing the essay?"

"I never understood why Binns gives out work," Sirius said thoughtfully. "I mean, even if he does bother to read them, how can he? He's a ghost! It's not like he can pick up the papers, read them, and then grade them?"

"Harry still has to do it though," Molly said strictly. Though she privately wondered about that as well.

**The quill paused at the top of a likely looking paragraph. Harry pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, moved his flashlight closer to the book, and read:**

"I don't want to hear anything from a _History of Magic_!" Sirius groaned. "That has to be one of the dullest books I've ever read!"

"You never bothered to read it though," Remus laughed. "I personally found it to be very interesting."

"Of course you would," Sirius rolled his eyes. "You practically lived in the library."

"Better than spending most of my time at Hogwarts in detention," he said to him rolling his own eyes while everyone else laughed at them bicker.

**Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.**

"Well, I can see how she earned the name Wendelin the Weird," Tonks stated. "What do you know? This book is educational, as well as exciting."

**Harry put his quill between his teeth and reached underneath his pillow for his inkbottle and a roll of parchment. Slowly and very carefully he unscrewed the ink bottle, dipped his quill into it, and began to write, pausing every now and then to listen, because if any of the Dursleys heard the scratching of his quill on their way to the bathroom, he'd probably find himself locked in the cupboard under the stairs for the rest of the summer.**

"I dare them to try," Molly growled furiously, sounding like an angry tiger protecting her cub for that second.

"I still can't believe they treat him like that," Tonks muttered angrily. She couldn't tell who was worse. The Dursley's or the Blacks. At least with her family, all they did was disown them… but on the other hand, most of them were crazy, prejudice people who wanted to wipe out most of the human population… tough choice.

**The Dursley family of Number Four, Privet Drive, was the reason that Harry never enjoyed his summer holidays. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son, Dudley, were Harry's only living relatives. They were Muggles, and they had a very medieval attitude toward magic. **

"That's one way of describing them," Kingsley said darkly.

**Harry's dead parents, who had been a witch and wizard themselves, were never mentioned under the Dursleys' roof. For years, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had hoped that if they kept Harry as downtrodden as possible, they would be able to squash the magic out of him. **

"How dare they!" shouted a Molly as Sirius's hands clenched. To keep himself from doing something stupid, he started up his mental list of reasons why he should wipe the Dursley off the face of the planet. The count was over a hundred by this point.

**To their fury, they had not been successful. **

Tonks couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. Even when Harry didn't realize it, and especially since he never did it on purpose, but he was the thorn in his relatives sides.

"Not that it would have done anything, anyway," Remus scowled.

"So basically," Sirius growled through gritted teeth, "They put Harry through hell for nothing! Oh, I am going to enjoy making their lives a living hell."

"Leave some of them for me," Molly hissed as she gripped Arthur's hand so tightly that he was wincing in pain.

**These days they lived in terror of anyone finding out that Harry had spent most of the last two years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. **

"You know," Arthur muttered as his eyes watered from Molly's grip. She blinked in surprise and let go with a quick, "Sorry."

Arthur just waved his hand at her, letting her know that it was alright before going on to say, "I almost want him to go out and tell everyone. I mean, it's not like they would've believed him anyway. And I know that it would've made them think that there was something wrong with the Dursleys."

"Which there is," Sirius mumbled under his breath.

"I think that would be amusing," Kingsley nodded as a smile played on his lips. "But I don't think that Harry needs a reason to make them even angrier at him do you?"

"Right," Arthur said grimly.

**The most they could do, however, was to lock away Harry's spell books, wand, cauldron, and broomstick at the start of the summer break, and forbid him to talk to the neighbors.**

"They can't do that…" Tonks frowned before looking at Remus and asked, "Can they?"

"Appears so," he answered her gloomily as he shook his head in disgust.

**This separation from his spell books had been a real problem for Harry, because his teachers at Hogwarts had given him a lot of holiday work. One of the essays, a particularly nasty one about shrinking potions, was for Harry's least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, who would be delighted to have an excuse to give Harry detention for a month. **

"Why does he treat Harry like that?" Molly demanded from Sirius and Remus. "Can't he be adult enough to see that Harry isn't his father?"

Remus shrugged, "I guess it's because Harry looks so much like James, that Severus expects him to act like him as well. As far as he's concerned, Harry IS James."

"Well, that's a bit hypocritical of him don't you think?" Tonks stated to Sirius. "He goes on and on about what you and James did to him when you were at school, but from what he says about you, it sounds like he's acting just like that to Harry."

"He's a git, what do you expect?" Sirius just couldn't help but mutter.

**Harry had therefore seized his chance in the first week of the holidays. While Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley had gone out into the front garden to admire Uncle Vernon's new company car (in very loud voices, so that the rest of the street would notice it too), **

"Who cares?" Moody asked annoyed. He wanted to get to the good stuff already.

"They're like the Muggle version of the Malfoys," Sirius whispered in repugnance.

**Harry had crept downstairs, picked the lock on the cupboard under the stairs,**

"There's my boy," Sirius grinned. "I guess all the trouble he got into at school is paying off at last. He's learning to fight back and stand up to them."

"Good for him," Kingsley muttered, turning the page.

**grabbed some of his books, and hidden them in his bedroom. As long as he didn't leave spots of ink on the sheets, the Dursleys need never know that he was studying magic by night.**

"So Potter now knows how to pick locks now?" Moody asked. "Looks like the twins seem to have an interesting influence on everyone. This particular talent with locks could get him out of other jams as well."

"I can't disagree with that," Sirius smirked happily. "Picking locks is a useful Muggle skill to know if you're stuck somewhere and can't use magic."

Molly just shook her head and sighed heavily, lightly pressing her fingers to her temples. She didn't know how to feel about this, it was helping Harry get his school work done, but it wasn't so good that he knew how to pick locks.

**Harry was particularly keen to avoid trouble with his aunt and uncle at the moment, as they were already in an especially bad mood with him, **

"I thought they were always in a bad mood with him?" said Arthur in surprise.

"They probably are, but he must've done something to make them angrier than usual," Tonks muttered frowning.

"So in other words," Sirius growled, "He didn't do anything wrong and they're still going to punish him for it."

**all because he'd received a telephone call from a fellow wizard one week into the school vacation.**

"Oh, so Ron and Hermione tried to call him?" Tonks asked brightly before it slowly fell of her face. "But why is that a bad thing? What on earth happened?"

"Because in that house, Harry isn't allowed to have friends," Sirius spat like venom.

**Ron Weasley, who was one of Harry's best friends at Hogwarts, came from a whole family of wizards. This meant that he knew a lot of things Harry didn't, but had never used a telephone before.**

"Oh, no," Tonks whispered as she shook her head incredulously. "This isn't going to end well."

Remus looked to Arthur and Molly and had to ask, "What happened?"

Arthur shrugged. "I think Ron said something about talking a little too loudly?"

**Most unluckily, it had been Uncle Vernon who had answered the call.**

**"Vernon Dursley speaking."**

**Harry, who happened to be in the room at the time, froze as he heard Ron's voice answer.**

**"HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I — WANT — TO — TALK — TO — HARRY — POTTER!"**

"You've got to be kidding me," Tonks said shaking her head, fighting hard not to laugh. But she couldn't keep it quiet for long. She and everyone else burst out laughing at the thought of how the Dursleys would've reacted after this. Though their laughing fits didn't last long when they all thought of how Harry was sure to get into big trouble because of it.

Remus was shaking his head, "Just Ron's luck to get s person who is sure to start shouting back. Now he'll think that shouting is the right thing to do."

"You mean it isn't?" Arthur asked as if he was just making sure.

"No, Arthur," Kingsley smiled. "You just need to speak normally, and you can hear the other person on the end."

"Muggles really do more then we give them credit for don't they?" Arthur asked fondly. They all smiled at his eagerness like a child at Christmas.

**Ron was yelling so loudly that Uncle Vernon jumped and held the receiver a foot away from his ear, staring at it with an expression of mingled fury and alarm.**

**"WHO IS THIS?" he roared in the direction of the mouthpiece. "WHO ARE YOU?"**

**"RON — WEASLEY!" Ron bellowed back, as though he and Uncle Vernon were speaking from opposite ends of a football field. "I'M — A — FRIEND — OF — HARRY'S — FROM — SCHOOL —"**

"Oh no," Remus sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Probably not the best idea to mention that he was from Hogwarts."

"Why do I suddenly have the feeling that those bastards wouldn't have let Harry talk on the phone even if it wasn't a friend?" Sirius snapped.

"They're horrible," Molly said sounding close to tears. "How on earth could they have gotten away with this after all these years?!"

"Oh, don't worry," Sirius assured her. "Once we're done with all the books and learn every little thing they did to Harry, they'll have hell to pay. I personally suggest that Moony go over there the next full moon and say hello."

"You know," Remus said thinking about it, "That might not be such a bad idea. I'll keep that in mind if we can't think of anything else."

**Uncle Vernon's small eyes swiveled around to Harry, who was rooted to the spot.**

**"THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER HERE!" he roared, now holding the receiver at arm's length, as though frightened it might explode. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY FAMILY!"**

"Why does he think that Ron's threatening his family?" Tonks demanded.

"Family? Sounds more like a zoo to me," Moody stated. "From what I heard, it sounds like Potter's suck living with a walrus, a horse, and a pig."

They all laughed rather harshly at that. Who knew that Mad-Eye Moody had such a good sense of humor?

**And he threw the receiver back onto the telephone as if dropping a poisonous spider.**

**The fight that had followed had been one of the worst ever.**

**"HOW DARE YOU GIVE THIS NUMBER TO PEOPLE LIKE — PEOPLE LIKE YOU!" Uncle Vernon had roared, spraying Harry with spit.**

"There's nothing wrong with wizards," Sirius barked. "We're better then you can ever hope to be. And Harry's about a hundred times the person than all three of you Dursley's combined!"

"Just what is their problem?" Tonks demanded suddenly. "So what if Harry can use magic?! He's still a human being! What's with these Dursley's?"

"They doesn't understand magic, so they're frightened of it," said Remus sadly.

"If that's the case," Tonks said heatedly, "Why not at least try to learn more about magic before deciding if they like it or not? Why don't they at least try to get to know a wizard before they label them like a disease?"

"If everyone did that," Remus answered her with a depressing look in his eyes. "Then the world would be a better place. But many people tend to hate things that they don't understand."

"You would know wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius whispered at him, looking at his friend. He could never forget the day when he and James figured out Remus's secret and confronted him about it. The look of pure terror on his face was enough to get him and James to stop smiling. And in those days, that wasn't an easy thing to do.

He understood though, Remus was petrified that they were going to desert him like everyone else had done. Why he would think that, he would never know. He supposed that it was just years of being treated like a monster that forced Moony to think like that. Remus merely shrugged at him, bringing Sirius out of his memories.

Remus didn't mind at all. Really, this was something he was far too used to. Once people find out that he is a werewolf, they instantly turn against him. Oh, he couldn't begin to describe the panic that went through him the day that James and Sirius came up to him and told him that they knew about his _'furry little problem'_.

Remus was sure that they were going to tell him to stay away from them and that they were going to tell the rest of the school… but they didn't. They didn't care. They accepted him anyway. That act alone, meant more to him than anything else. That act made him see that maybe, just maybe he did deserve to have a life. That he could have friends despite his… condition.

Peter of course hadn't known until they told him later that night. At first, he freaked out, wanting to run out of their dormitory and through the castle, screaming his secret to everyone until they got him to calm down and explained it all to him. Ever since then, it had been the four of them taking on the world. What happened to those days?

He suddenly heard Kingsley going again and he forced himself from the past and back to the present to hear the rest of the chapter.

**Ron obviously realized that he'd gotten Harry into trouble, because he hadn't called again. Harry's other best friend from Hogwarts, Hermione Granger, hadn't been in touch either. Harry suspected that Ron had warned Hermione not to call, which was a pity, because Hermione, the cleverest witch in Harry's year, had Muggle parents, knew perfectly well how to use a telephone, and would probably have had enough sense not to say that she went to Hogwarts.**

"Like I said," Sirius grumbled. "After everything they did to him, there was no chance that they would've let Harry talk to anybody over the telephone anyway."

"You're probably right about that," Molly sighed, once again wondering anyone could treat their own nephew like that.

"On another note," Moody muttered to Molly and Arthur. "I think that maybe you should've force that son of yours to take Muggle Studies though. It could've saved him a lot of trouble."

**So Harry had had no word from any of his wizarding friends for five long weeks, and this summer was turning out to be almost as bad as the last one. **

"What was that?" Sirius roared, his anger rising to breaking point.

"Well, he did say almost," Moody shrugged.

"NOT HELPING!" Sirius bellowed at him.

"They have to be truly horrible to top what they did before. It has to be nothing sort of torture and murder for this summer to have been even worse than the last one," Tonks muttered mutinously.

"Please don't talk like that," Molly whimpered. Harry was something like a seventh son for her… and to hear just how miserable and badly treated he was while he was under his relatives so called _care_, was torture to her.

**There was just one very small improvement — after swearing that he wouldn't use her to send letters to any of his friends, Harry had been allowed to let his owl, Hedwig, out at night. Uncle Vernon had given in because of the racket Hedwig made if she was locked in her cage all the time.**

"Well, that's a small improvement," Arthur said bitterly. "But why do they make him swear that he can't write to his friends?"

"Because they want to be in control," Moody stated. "They feel that if Potter is miserable, then they're still be the ones in charge. That, and I think they're scared that the boy will write to his friends and ask them to curse them or something"

"Well that's just rubbish," Sirius snapped at him. "Not the part where we curse them that is. But you know, just because they told him not to do it, that he should go ahead and send messages anyway."

"Just as long as they don't find out about it," Kingsley said worriedly.

**Harry finished writing about Wendelin the Weird and paused to listen again. The silence in the dark house was broken only by the distant, grunting snores of his enormous cousin, Dudley. It must be very late, Harry thought. His eyes were itching with tiredness. Perhaps he'd finish this essay tomorrow night…**

"He should," Molly said apprehensively, remembering seeing those dark shadows underneath Harry's eyes, as if he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. His thin frame, paleness, and exhausted eyes gave the poor boy a look of someone who was gravely ill. "He needs his sleep."

**He replaced the top of the ink bottle; pulled an old pillowcase from under his bed; put the flashlight, A History of Magic, his essay, quill, and ink inside it; got out of bed; and hid the lot under a loose floorboard under his bed. Then he stood up, stretched, and checked the time on the luminous alarm clock on his bedside table.**

**It was one o'clock in the morning. Harry's stomach gave a funny jolt. He had been thirteen years old, without realizing it, for a whole hour.**

"Happy Birthday, Harry," Sirius whispered so quietly that not even Remus's keen hearing could've hoped to pick it up. He missed so much of Harry's life, and once again—the guilt and regret was eating away at him. Now he realized that he missed Harry's birthday for twelve years in a row.

His eyes widened in realization. No… he missed them all… he just remembered that he was busy doing something for the Order during Harry's first birthday. Not only that, but he was on the run for his 14th, and he was trapped here for his last one. Which means, he had missed every single one of his own godson's birthdays… what kind of godfather was he?

He put his face in his hands, feeling like he was going to cry again. Sure, he sent Harry the Firebolt to make up for all the birthdays and Christmas that he missed, but it wasn't the same. It's the memories that he missed.

"Sirius?" Arthur asked him concerned when he saw the look of pure devastation on his face. "Are you alright?"

He just nodded, without looking up. He wanted this chapter over with. But at the same time terrified of when he'll finally hear his own name in that book. It was just the first chapter, and he wasn't sure if he could bear to hear anymore.

**Yet another unusual thing about Harry was how little he looked forward to his birthdays. He had never received a birthday card in his life. The Dursleys had completely ignored his last two birthdays, and he had no reason to suppose they would remember this one.**

"They better," Molly growled. Birthdays, were so important. Even though they never had much money, she always got up early and made sure to bake a cake for each of her children's birthdays. How could any mother actually spoil her own child, and not give a damn to her sister's only child? She felt like she was about to be sick.

**Harry walked across the dark room, past Hedwig's large, empty cage, to the open window. He leaned on the sill, the cool night air pleasant on his face after a long time under the blankets. Hedwig had been absent for two nights now. Harry wasn't worried about her: she'd been gone this long before. But he hoped she'd be back soon — she was the only living creature in this house who didn't flinch at the sight of him.**

**Harry, though still rather small and skinny for his age, had grown a few inches over the last year. His jet-black hair, however, was just as it always had been — stubbornly untidy, whatever he did to it. The eyes behind his glasses were bright green, **

"Yep," Sirius said, sounding slightly more cheerful, though he still refused to look up. "He looks just like James, but his personality is like Lily's."

"I guess it's true what they say," Remus smiled. "The eyes are the window to your soul." But he then leaned in and whispered, "But I noticed that he acts more like the troublemaker in this year than from what we heard in his last two."

Sirius just gave him a feeble smile. He was looking forward to hearing that, but he still felt guilt fill his fractured heart.

**and on his forehead, clearly visible through his hair, was a thin scar, shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

"Oh great, here it comes," Moody groaned darkly.

"What?" Arthur asked him.

"Where it goes over how Harry got that scar," Remus said sadly, with another concerned look at Sirius.

**Of all the unusual things about Harry, this scar was the most extraordinary of all. It was not, as the Dursleys had pretended for ten years, a souvenir of the car crash that had killed Harry's parents, because Lily and James Potter had not died in a car crash. **

"You got that right," Sirius mumbled, still furious that they would actually lie to a little kid about his parents. "They died protecting him."

**They had been murdered, murdered by the most feared Dark wizard for a hundred years, Lord Voldemort. Harry had escaped from the same attack with nothing more than a scar on his forehead, where Voldemort's curse, instead of killing him, had rebounded upon its originator. Barely alive, Voldemort had fled…**

"Why are we going over this again?" Sirius had to ask, running his hands through his messed up hair. "It's bad enough hearing it once and it never gets easier."

**But Harry had come face-to-face with him at Hogwarts. **

"Don't remind me," Molly muttered fearfully, shivering how terrible that monster's descriptions were.

**Remembering their last meeting as he stood at the dark window, Harry had to admit he was lucky even to have reached his thirteenth birthday.**

"Luck?" Moody barked. "Luck's a loser's excuse. It takes raw nerve, if not skill that does it."

"It shouldn't have to be like that in the first place," Molly whispered with her hands over her mouth.

**He scanned the starry sky for a sign of Hedwig, perhaps soaring back to him with a dead mouse dangling from her beak, expecting praise. **

"That's bird got real personality," Mad-Eye stated.

**Gazing absently over the rooftops, it was a few seconds before Harry realized what he was seeing.**

**Silhouetted against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in Harry's direction. He stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower. For a split second he hesitated, his hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut. But then the bizarre creature soared over one of the street lamps of Privet Drive, and Harry, realizing what it was, leapt aside.**

"What is it?" Tonks asked, leaning over Kingsley's arm to get a look at the book.

"If you wait, I'll tell you," Kingsley said to her. She smiled apologetic at him, and Remus just frowned at Kingsley.

**Through the window soared three owls, **

"Oh," Tonks said happily. "So that's why this chapter's called Owl Post."

"No," Sirius said in mock surprise, finally looking up. "You don't say?"

**two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.**

"That would be Errol," Arthur said knowingly.

"You know," Kingsley said to them, "You might want to retire him from delivering post."

"We did," Molly said softly. "He's getting on in years, and I don't think one more delivery could finish him off."

**Harry recognized the unconscious owl at once — his name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family. Harry dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water.**

"Poor thing," Tonks said.

Molly just had to smile at Harry's kindness. A trait that seems to be so rare these days.

**Harry turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was his own Hedwig. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. **

"You know," Arthur laughed as he turned to Moody, "You're right. That owl is definitely one of a kind."

"I love that owl," Tonks said dreamily. "She's so beautiful."

**She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.**

**Harry didn't recognize the third owl, a handsome tawny one, but he knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the night.**

Arthur was suddenly reminded of an owl version of Percy.

**Harry sat down on his bed and grabbed Errol's package,** **ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope.**

"Thirteen years old and never had a birthday card before?" Tonks sighed. "That's just sad…"

"But why's he so nervous?" Molly asked confused. "It was a present and he was acting like it was going to bite him."

"What would you have felt if you never had a proper birthday?" Remus asked almost coldly. "I mean, you have such a large and loving family, and look at what Harry was stuck with all these years."

"Remind me to spoil Harry rotten on his birthday," Sirius muttered, his face once again falling back into the lines of misery. Remus was now really starting to feel concern for Sirius at this point. He nodded to Kingsley to keep going, not taking his worried eyes off Sirius's distraught face.

**Two pieces of paper fell out — a letter and a newspaper clipping.**

**The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:**

**MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE**

**Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.**

"That's right," Molly beamed at the memory as Arthur grinned broadly.

"Did you really?" Remus asked them. "That's terrific. I can't think of anyone who deserves the money as much as you."

"Except for you Remus," Arthur said to him kindly.

Remus blinked in surprise before blushing slightly. "No… no, I don't…" he began, but Sirius actually laughed.

They looked at him and Remus was pleased to see that he was smiling again. "You made Moony blush? Now that is impressive. He had such low self-esteem, that it took me and James years to get him to see that he deserved to be around other students. Of course," he added as Remus turned to an even darker shade of red. "No matter how hard we tried, he were never able to convince him that he deserves to be with the ladies."

"Sirius," Remus said to him as everyone smiled at him. "Please just shut up."

"Awwww," Tonks cooed. "That's sweet, Remus."

Remus couldn't look at her. His face felt so hot, that he wouldn't have been surprised if they could fry an egg on his forehead.

"Oh, Remus," Molly said gently. She suddenly felt a surge of pity for the man sitting across from her. He had an even harder time trying to support himself than they did. At least Arthur was able to get a job. She suddenly felt that he deserved that money more than they did that day.

**A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."**

**The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.**

"Oh, that's right," Sirius whispered, his eyes widening again. "If I had to guess, this had to have been in the paper at least a day ago… which means… that I must've already broken out. If I'm not doing it right at that second."

Everyone but Remus looked at him in surprise. To be perfectly honest, none of them had any idea that Ron's old rat Scabbers had actually been Peter Pettigrew. They all knew that Wormtail was an Animagus and was the one who was really responsible for all the crimes that Sirius was blamed for… but Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt that it was for the best if they forgot to tell them who Scabbers really was.

So really, the only people in the room who knew that Peter was the same rat that the Weasleys kept as a pet were Sirius and Remus. Well, looks like they were going to learn the hard way.

**Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; **

Arthur ran his hand through his thin hair and sighed wistfully. Having seven kids was the cause of his hair lost… mostly because of Fred and George.

**six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny.**

**Harry couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, **

"Ah," Molly cooed at Harry's thoughtfulness. Now if only he could learn to be a little less reckless…

**who were very nice and extremely poor.**

Once again Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Molly gripped his arm tightly and just gave him a sad smile which he returned.

**He picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Happy birthday!**_

_**Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call.**_

_**I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted.**_

"Yeah, I think that was the problem," Remus chuckled.

_**It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one.**_

"Of course not!" Molly said sternly. "She was only twelve! And I heard Bill tell us what was in it! I'm not having my baby girl going in there and risk being traumatized!"

Moody privately thought that it was a little too late for that after what happened to her in her first year at school. But he felt that it was probably best not to say that out loud.

_**There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.**_

_**I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.**_

"Oh, thank Merlin," Tonks declared. "There was no way that he would've survived another year with that broken one."

"Yes," Molly nodded. "And Ron was definitely happier with this new one."

"Though I personally think that he should've hung onto that old wand," Sirius smirked. "It did come in handy in the end don't you all think?"

They all laughed at the memory of Lockhart losing his.

**Harry remembered only too well the occasion when Ron's old wand had snapped. It had happened when the car the two of them had been flying to Hogwarts had crashed into a tree on the school grounds.**

"Speaking of which," Kingsley said looking at the Weasleys. "After what we learned in the last book, are you still angry at them for doing that?"

"I was," Molly said. "But after I learned that it saved them from the spiders in the forest. I think I can forgive them for that. I'll just pretend that it never happened."

"Whatever makes you happy," he told her kindly.

_**We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?**_

_**Don't let the Muggles get you down!**_

_**Try and come to London,**_

_**Ron**_

_**P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.**_

"Argh," Sirius stated. "That's going to be _fun_."

"Sirius," Molly scolded.

"I bet that it only made him even more pompous than before!" he told her, his temper starting to rise again. To be honest, Percy reminded him to much of his own family for him to ever like him. Disregarding his own family members just because they got in the way of his career and reputation? Percy knew Harry for four whole years, even sat right next to him after Harry was sorted.

And even after all that, he now thinks that Harry's lying, Dumbledore's mad, and the rest of his family's on the wrong side? Yes, it does sound like something his own parents would've done.

Apparently he wasn't the only one thinking these things because Mad-Eye said, "That was a bad idea. It only gave the boy a taste of power. That's only going to make him want it even more and do anything to get it."

Molly and Arthur looked furious at Moody. But they couldn't say anything to contradict him because deep down, they knew that it was true. Remus must've noticed that tears were forming in the corners of Molly's eyes again because he said gently, "I'm sure that it'll work out in the end. I mean, Percy will have to face the facts sooner or later. And when he does, I'm sure that he's going to want to apologize. Which I know that you both will be ready to except."

Arthur gave him a grateful look but didn't say anything. Molly sniffed, once before dabbing lightly at her eyes. "I hope your right, Remus," she said in a calm-sounding voice.

**Harry glanced back at the photograph. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug.**

**He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun.**

Sirius was willing to bet that he was only going to be more annoying then when he was Head Boy. It was bad enough when he heard about him when he was a Prefect. But like Moody, he thought that it would be for the best that he didn't say anything about it in front of the Percy's parents.

**Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.**

"A Sneakoscope!" Tonks said smiling. "I love those things."

"Yes, they can be useful," Mad-Eye nodded. "But I wouldn't trust them completely. They've been known to make mistakes."

"Yeah, but you don't trust anything though," Tonks said offhanded. "So that's not saying much."

Moody just told her to shut up.

_**Harry — this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.**_

"I should've known that they were behind that," Molly muttered though she was smiling at the thought of her family being happy and together. She hoped that they could all be together by the time this war was over.

_**Bye — Ron**_

**Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.**

**Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.**

"Knew it," Sirius smirked.

"We all did, it doesn't prove you're smart," Tonks sniggered.

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.**_

"It could've gone better," Sirius muttered.

_**I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you — what if they'd opened it at customs? — but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change.**_

"I love that bird!" Tonks grinned as she stretched out on the couch.

_**I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world). Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous — the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.**_

"Sure he did," Sirius snorted. "If he even looked at his homework, then I'll kiss Kreacher."

_**There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long — it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.**_

"Two whole rolls of parchment?!" Tonks cried out. "What's the point? Binns doesn't even read them! He just assigns homework because he has to!"

"So you mean to tell me that we did all that History of Magic homework for nothing?" Sirius complained.

"Yep," Kingsley stated simply.

"You think that Hogwarts can ever get a new History of Magic teacher?" Tonks asked him. "You know, someone who makes sure that everyone stays awake in his class and grades the papers?"

"I highly doubt it," Arthur said. "Binns is a ghost after all, and I don't think that he's going anywhere anytime soon."

_**Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? **_

"Probably not," they all said dully together.

_**I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!**_

_**Love from Hermione**_

_**P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.**_

"I don't blame him," Sirius said out loud.

**Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. **

"Wow… a book," said Sirius and Tonks together, as they all looked ready to hear about the heavy textbook that Hermione would want him to read.

**Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells— but it wasn't. **

They all blinked in surprise. "You mean she didn't send one?" Sirius asked Kingsley, thinking that there was either a misprint or he was losing his hearing.

"That's what it says," Kingsley said smiling.

"Good," Tonks said. "You really shouldn't waste money on books that you don't need."

"True," Arthur said thoughtfully. "Everyone was forced to buy all Lockhart's books, only to find out that he wasn't the one who did all those things he claimed to."

"Yes," Molly nodded. "But they were still accurate though. I'm just sorry that he took all the credit for them."

**His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.**

Almost everyone felt their jaws drop.

"Wow," Sirius stated. "Hermione knows what her friends like doesn't she?"

**"Wow, Hermione!" Harry whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.**

"Took the words out of my mouth, Harry," Sirius laughed.

**There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.**

"That is the best kind of present," Sirius said almost longingly. Oh, just an hour of flying, was that so much to ask for? Some sunshine and fresh air…

**Apart from his friends, the thing that Harry missed most about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world — highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks. Harry happened to be a very good Quidditch player; **

"He's being modest again," Remus chuckled.

"He's more than just a very good player," Sirius said proudly. "He's one of the best I've ever seen! Could go pro someday!"

**he had been the youngest person in a century to be picked for one of the Hogwarts House teams. One of Harry's most prized possessions was his Nimbus Two Thousand racing broom.**

**Harry put the leather case aside and picked up his last parcel. He recognized the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. He tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly — as though it had jaws.**

"Hagrid…" Remus said warily.

"Oh no," Sirius groaned. Trust Hagrid to send Harry something dangerous, even if he didn't mean for it to be. He loved the fact that Hagrid was helping to take care of Harry, but now that he thought about it, Hagrid and his _pets_ seemed to be the main reason that they got into danger in the first place! He was going to have to find some way to have a long talk with him about this.

**Harry froze. He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin.**

"Yeah," Tonks said cautiously. "I can see why Harry would think that it's something unsafe. But you don't really think that Hagrid will have sent him something dangerous…?"

"No," Kingsley said. "Well, not knowingly anyway."

**Harry poked the parcel nervously. It snapped loudly again. Harry reached for the lamp on his bedside table, gripped it firmly in one hand, and raised it over his head, ready to strike. Then he seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled.**

**And out fell — a book.**

"What?" cried out Sirius, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Kingsley. Molly, Arthur, and Remus all let out sighs of understanding before shaking their heads.

"A book?" Tonks repeated as if she was sure that she heard wrong. "A book? How can a book have jaws?"

"Books are dangerous," Moody said thinking. "I mean, look at that diary?"

That shut her up along with most of the other members of the room.

**Harry just had time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways along the bed like some weird crab.**

"Typical," Kingsley said. "Sounds like something Hagrid would do. Send him a book about monsters which bites back."

"Why would Hagrid send a book on monsters though?" Tonks asked worriedly. She was concerned that Hagrid might've gotten some new pet and he might need help with it.

"Don't worry," Arthur said smiling. "It's the textbook for Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid's the new teacher remember?"

"Ah," they all said, getting it.

"Of course," Mad-Eye said. "Who else would assign a book that tries to rip your hands off?"

**"Uh-oh," Harry muttered.**

**The book toppled off the bed with a loud clunk and shuffled rapidly across the room. Harry followed it stealthily. The book was hiding in the dark space under his desk. Praying that the Dursleys were still fast asleep, Harry got down on his hands and knees and reached toward it.**

**"Ouch!"**

"I knew books were dangerous," muttered Sirius.

"Which is why you never bothered to read them in school," laughed Remus.

**The book snapped shut on his hand and then flapped past him, still scuttling on its covers. Harry scrambled around, threw himself forward, and managed to flatten it. Uncle Vernon gave a loud, sleepy grunt in the room next door.**

**Hedwig and Errol watched interestedly as Harry clamped the struggling book tightly in his arms, hurried to his chest of drawers, and pulled out a belt, which he buckled tightly around it. The Monster Book shuddered angrily, but could no longer flap and snap, so Harry threw it down on the bed and reached for Hagrid's card.**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Happy Birthday!**_

_**Think you might find this useful for next year.**_

"I really need to have a few words with Hagrid about what he considers safe and monstrous," Molly groaned.

"You're just thinking about that now?" Sirius muttered forebodingly. "I've been wanting a word with him about his _pets_ since I heard about Norbert and Fluffy."

_**Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.**_

_**Hope the Muggles are treating you right.**_

"Not as well as they should've been," grunted Sirius cynically.

_**All the best,**_

_**Hagrid**_

**It struck Harry as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful, but he put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever. Now there was only the letter from Hogwarts left.**

**Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:**

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

_**Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.**_

_**Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.**_

"Oh, that's right! I forgot that third years get to start visiting Hogsmeade!" Tonks cried out. But then she suddenly grew angry once she realized what she was saying. She and everyone else was glaring darkly at the book as if it was its fault that something bad was about to happen. They all knew that the Dursleys were never going to sign that form.

"Heartless," was the only thing that Molly could say.

"They couldn't even do that much for him," growled Sirius. "All they had to do was sign their name! Was that too complicated for them?"

_**A list of books for next year is enclosed.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

_**Professor M. McGonagall**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

**Harry pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it, no longer grinning. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; he knew it was an entirely wizarding village, and he had never set foot there. But how on earth was he going to persuade Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign the form?**

"Yeah, just give me five minutes alone with them," Sirius hissed, breathing hard and his eyes turning to narrow slits. _'Reason number 475 to curse the Dursley's,' _he thought to himself, _'They are heartless gits who wouldn't even sighn his permission form.'_

**He looked over at the alarm clock. It was now two o'clock in the morning.**

"He should really be getting to bed now," Molly said a little harsher than she had intended to be because she was still upset.

**Deciding that he'd worry about the Hogsmeade form when he woke up, Harry got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the chart he'd made for himself, counting down the days left until his return to Hogwarts. Then he took off his glasses and lay down; eyes open, facing his three birthday cards.**

**Extremely unusual though he was, at that moment Harry Potter felt just like everyone else — glad, for the first time in his life, that it was his birthday.**

A few people smiled at that.

"That's so sweet and sad," Molly said. Every child should have been happy on his birthday.

"That's the end of the chapter," Kingsley sighed and putting the book down.

"Great," Sirius said, "But before we continue, can we please have some breakfast? Some of us haven't eaten anything since you all showed up."

"I was wondering when you were going to ask," Molly said and got up, glad that she would have something to do.

"Great!" Tonks said merrily. "Just as so long I get to read next!" She turned to Moody and said, "Or if you rather…"

"Never gonna happen," Mad-Eye said grumpily.

"It's just a chapter," she complained. "What's so hard with you reading out loud to all of us?"

"I've got a sense of pride," he muttered as he got up and followed Molly out of the room to get away from her. Remus and Sirius couldn't help but laugh at the two as everyone else got up and followed them out.

They all sat at the kitchen table while Molly went around and started to cook breakfast for them. They all talked about what they learned today. Moody was talking to Kingsley about the Quibbler's article again.

"Now that the word is getting around, I think we're finally going to have some people who aren't completely hopeless see that the Ministry has been telling them all nothing but lies."

"But we still need to be careful," Kingsley stated. "If Fudge suspects anyone in the office of being on Dumbledore's side, they're kicked out and not welcomed back."

The rest of them were talking about Harry's treatment at that house. "I still don't see why Harry never told us about it," Tonks said. "I mean, doesn't he know that we would've done something about it?"

"I think that's the whole problem," Remus said sadly. "Years of being told that you're not welcomed anywhere must've sunk in."

"Well, that's just horrid!" Molly snarled as she had a vision of a small black-haired boy sitting alone in a cupboard, just stuffed out of sight like a broom or mop. She dumped a few scrambled eggs on Tonk's plate a little harder than necessary.

"Like I said," Sirius said sadly. "I intend to spoil Harry rotten on his next birthday. It won't be able to make up for all those years of neglect, but at least he'll have some happy memories."

Molly nodded, agreeing completely with Sirius.

Remus on the other hand was smiling at Sirius and seemed to be fighting hard not to laugh.

"What?" he barked at him, still in a bad mood.

"Nothing," Remus chuckled. "I was just thinking. Back when Harry was a baby, you spoiled him every single time that you saw him. Harry had you wrapped around his little finger back in those days."

Sirius blinked in surprise before he began to laugh. Yes, that was certainly true. Every time that he visited the Potter's little cottage, he couldn't help but ask to see Harry as soon as he walked over the threshold. He always made sure to bring a toy or a piece of candy when he came over. And… when Lily wasn't around… he would take Harry out on James's broom or his motorbike.

He grinned at the memories.

"What was Harry like when he was a baby?" Molly couldn't help but ask them.

"Oh, he was just the sweetest little thing," Remus smiled. "He hardly ever cried. He was always a happy-go-lucky baby."

'_At least until the Dursley's came around,'_ thought Sirius foully. But he quickly pushed those thoughts away. He didn't want to think about them now.

"Harry especially loved when Sirius came over and transformed in front of him," Remus went on. He turned to Sirius and asked, "What was that game you used to play with Harry when you were Padfoot?"

Sirius grinned broadly. "Hide-n-seek."

"Awwww," Molly and Tonks cooed as Arthur laughed.

"He loved that game," Sirius laughed. "I would transform and leave the room. This was when Harry finally started crawling… I would then sneak up behind him and nudge him in the back. He thought that it was so funny."

"Yeah," Remus laughed. "I also happen to remember that one time he pulled your tail?"

"Actually, he did that several times," Sirius corrected. "He actually had a pretty strong grip for a baby."

The girls cooed again as they both leaned in, wanting to hear more. "What else?"

"I remember this one time," Remus said with a firm look at Sirius, "When you were supposed to be babysitting, you stole Harry?"

"Stole him?" Arthur asked confused.

"I didn't steal him," Sirius laughed. "I was just… borrowing him for something."

"What do you mean by borrowing?" Molly asked, her eyebrows raised.

"You remind me of Lily," Remus laughed. "That was her reaction when she found out what happened. You see, Sirius thought that he ah… could take Harry for a ride on his flying motorcycle and… they flew clear across London to this little park, and Sirius used him to help him get a date that night."

"You did what?" Tonks roared with laughter as Molly was looking appalled.

"You took a baby out on your motorcycle to pick up girls?!" she screamed at him as Sirius gave Remus a dirty look.

"Did you ever once think that he might've fallen off or… or… or gotten hurt?!"

"He was perfectly safe!" Sirius snapped back. "Like I would've let him fall!"

"Why were you using a one-year-old to help you get a girl?" Tonks asked confused.

"Babies and puppies!" Sirius stated as if it was obvious. "There is no better chick magnet than when a young, and handsome man who had a puppy or a baby with him."

"Déjà vu," Remus laughed. "That's the exact same thing you said to James when he found out. What was it he said to you?"

"He said that I was both of them, so he couldn't see what the problem was," Sirius roared with humor.

They all talked and laughed for a long time, even after all the food was eaten. Sirius was more than happy to tell them about what life was like before that Halloween night. No one wanted him to stop talking, because no one could remember seeing him this happy.

He talked about several other little adventures he did with Harry whenever James and Lily had to go out and needed a babysitter, how James always bragged that he was going to be a real Quidditch star when he was older, and the many times that Lily threatened to skin him alive whenever she saw him doing something remotely dangerous with her baby.

"What was it though?" Sirius asked himself suddenly, wracking his brains. "Damn it, why can't I remember that?"

"Remember what?" Arthur asked as he finished his drink.

"There was a little baby name that Lily used to call Harry, but I can't remember what it was," Sirius answered. He looked to Remus and asked, "Do you remember what she used to call him?"

"Oh, gosh, I don't," he said regretfully. "After all, it's been fourteen years. It's odd to, she used to call him by that little nickname all the time."

"You really can't remember?" Molly asked in disappointment.

"No," Sirius groaned sadly. "But like Moony said, it has been fourteen years."

"I'm sure that you'll remember it sooner or later," Tonks said uncertainly as Arthur checked watch.

"Oh, look at the time! We've been here for almost two hours. At this rate, we won't get to the next chapter until next Christmas."

So all of them, some a little disappointed that Sirius was done talking, headed back to the drawing room. Kingsley picked up the book and passed it to Tonks who took it all too happily. Tonks cleared her throat and read out cheerfully, "**Chapter 2: Aunt Marge's Big Mistake**."

**(Hey there. I'm done with Chapter 1 at last. Hope you all enjoyed it. I need some help with something though. I need some suggestions to what you think that Lily used to call Harry when he was little. This is important because it's going to come up later on in the story. If I don't think of a good one, I would like to know if any of you have any suggestions. Also, if you want to hear more about Sirius's adventures with baby Harry, I wrote it as a separate story. It's called, **_**Nothing but a Hound Dog**_**. Just thought that I mention it in case anyone else asks about it.)**


	4. Aunt Marge's Big Mistake

******(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 2: Aunt Marge's Big Mistake**

So all of them, some a little disappointed that Sirius was done talking, headed back to the drawing room. Kingsley picked up the book and passed it to Tonks who took it all too happily. Tonks cleared her throat and read out cheerfully, "**Chapter 2: Aunt Marge's Big Mistake**."

Suddenly, there was a sharp rap on the door downstairs. "Now who is it?" Moody said annoyed as they all looked up in surprise.

"I thought the teachers couldn't show up today because they had Umbridge to deal with," Tonks said slowly as Remus got up from his seat.

Remus thought it over for a second before saying to the room, "I don't think we have any right to let any more people read about Harry's life like this. In fact, I know that _we_ don't have any right to read this without his permission. So whoever it is, we might have to stop reading for today. Is that clear for everyone?"

"Awww," Tonks said in severe disappointment as she put the book down. "Just when it was my turn to read. Typical."

"Don't count story time being over just yet," Kingsley said just as Remus went out the door. "We have to wait to see who's at the door before we decide to call it quits."

They weren't happy about it, but they nodded in agreement as they waited for a few minutes. Tonks carefully took the book and hid it behind her back, just in case it was someone like Mundungus who arrived. Finally, they heard Remus coming back up the stairs, however they could also hear the footsteps of someone else following close behind. Suddenly, Remus entered the room with a look of total disbelief on his face.

"It's ok," he told them all. "We can keep reading."

"Really?" Arthur asked in surprise as Tonks let out a shout of happiness and pulled the book back out.

"But who was at the door?" Molly asked with her eyebrows raised. "Was it Dumbledore or…?"

Remus shook his head, still looking stunned. "It's a teacher alright, but…" he looked back at the door, and to everyone's astonishment, Severus Snape came slouching into the room looking extremely bad-tempered.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Sirius yelled out. It was bad enough that he was hearing things about the Dursleys and everything else that happened this year. But he had to listen to it with Snape here as well? This was going to be pure torture.

"I am allowed to be here aren't I not?" Severus asked with a sharp edge to his voice as though he would rather be anywhere but here at the moment.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Tonks said slowly as she turned the pages tenderly, "But I thought that you hated Harry. Soooooo… why did you come here to read a book about him? Especially since no one forced you to come?"

"Oh, believe me," Severus snapped at him. "I certainly didn't plan to come here today, but as it was Dumbledore's orders…"

"Dumbledore sent you here to read a book?" Sirius asked him skeptically. There was no chance in hell that he was going to be listening to Snape insult him all book without a fight.

"If you don't believe me," Severus hissed at him. "Ask him yourself. Really I can think of better things that I rather be doing right now than listen to Potter's life story all day."

_*Flashback*_

_Severus was heading up from the dungeons to the Great Hall for lunch after finishing teaching a class of third years when he was stopped him when he was halfway down the Grand Staircase._

_"Hold on, Severus," Albus called to him as he walked a little faster to meet him. _

_"What is it?" Severus asked irritated. _

_Dumbledore just smiled at him and said, "I was just wondering what you think about our young trio now that you know a little more about them?"_

_Severus just gave him a disgruntled look before saying, "I have better things to do with my time instead of thinking about Potter and his two sidekicks, Dumbledore."_

_"Really?" Dumbledore said quietly. "I was under the impression that you were disappointed that you didn't get to go to read about year three today?"_

_"Well your impression was wrong," Severus said coldly as they reached the Entrance Hall. Before they could say anything else, they saw the very trio that they were just talking about walking right through the front doors, looking a great deal more cheerful than they had seen them all year._

_Severus watched the boy out of the corner of his eyes. It was then, he realized something… it was just as Potter was smile at a joke that the Weasley boy just told him. Not that he ever noticed it before because the boy was always glaring at him, but that smile… it was the exact same kind of smile that Lily always had whenever she was happy._

_Rather than that impish and arrogant grin that James Potter always used whenever he was tormenting him in front of everyone else… it was Lily's kinder, gentler smile. What do you know? Looks like Potter had two things similar to Lily._

_"Those three are something else aren't they?" Dumbledore said suddenly, bringing Severus out of his memories. "Truly one of a kind don't you agree, Severus?"_

_Severus didn't answer. He would give them that much—not that he would tell Dumbledore that of course. When he didn't say anything, Albus went on, "I find it very interesting that Harry seems to act more like Lily than James did when they were at school don't you think? After all, James had gone completely out of his way to cause trouble and get a detention on a daily basis… Harry on the other hand just seems to want to avoid trouble and attention as much as possible."_

_"Oh, be quiet," Severus growled at him. Really, it was bad enough that he had to read about the boy's life story without talking to Dumbledore about it afterwards. Dumbledore just smiled at him before holding out a hand to stop him. "I wanted to ask you a favor, Severus."_

_Severus raised his eyebrows. He had a sneaking suspicion to what Dumbledore wanted to ask him, but he wasn't going to do it._

_"I was wondering if you could go in my place today and listen to what year three had to say," Dumbledore asked him graciously. "I would go myself, but if I'm seen leaving the school more than is necessary, then I'm afraid that it will look suspicious."_

_"You cannot be serious," Severus growled as he glanced around him, making sure that they were alone. "Why not ask McGonagall?" he demanded. "Or just have someone like Lupin fill you in later?"_

_Dumbledore just smiled kindly with his eyes twinkling. "I thought that you would've been delighted, Severus," he said. "After all, you seemed to have been enjoying the second book."_

_"I didn't enjoy it," he said without moving his lips. "I thought that it just proved more of Potter's…"_

_"Severus," Dumbledore cut him off, looking weary. "When are you going to see that Harry isn't James? Yes, he looks like him but that doesn't mean that he is his father."_

_"I would rather stay here and teach those sorry excuses for students than go back there and read," Severus replied stubbornly._

_Dumbledore sighed. "Really, Severus. You need to learn to let go of the past. What has constantly blaming James got you?"_

_"It was Potter's fault that I…" Severus began heatedly._

_"Severus," Dumbledore interrupted again. "I understand that you hate James. But he's dead now. You can't keep blaming him for things that have happened over a decade ago. And I don't think that it's fair for you to pin all the blame onto Lily's son."_

_"He's…" Severus began yet again, but he could see that Dumbledore was starting to lose his patience. _

_"Just hear me out, Severus," he said as he held up his hands. "I think that you forget that Harry has more than one parent. This is why I'm asking you to go and read just a little bit with everyone else. I hope that by listening more, you can learn to move on and leave old grudges behind."_

_Severus was looking furious. But he couldn't think of anything to say to that. To be perfectly honest, he wanted to read more. He was finding these books interesting to say the least, and if it got him away from the tyranny of Umbridge he wouldn't be complaining too much. Not that he would ever tell anyone else that._

_"I think that you can go now if you wanted to," Albus went on, "While we are all at lunch? And if I'm not mistaken, you are free from classes for the rest of the day?"_

_"Fine," he snarled. "But I don't see why you are asking me to do it. As far as I'm concerned, Potter is nothing more than the reincarnation of his father."_

_He turned and stomped off, but hearing Dumbledore say, "That is what I hope to change, Severus."_

_*End of Flashback*_

"So Dumbledore wanted you to come and read with us and keep him informed?" Moody stated casually. "That does sound like something he would do if he couldn't come himself."

"Why you though?" Sirius said, trying very hard not to whine like a child.

"I suppose it is his privilege to give less than enjoyable assignments to his teachers," Severus said coldly before finally sitting down. "I'm not any happier than you are, Black, but I have to admit, I am looking forward to hearing about you in this book." His grin was filled with malevolence, "I'm sure that I will enjoy hearing all the insults."

"Alright, gentlemen," Arthur said holding up his hands as Sirius looked like he was close to punching Snape. "It's good of you to be here, Severus," he said courteously to Snape, who just snorted. "We were just getting started on the second chapter."

He looked back to Tonks who was flipping back to her page. "What was it called again?"

"**Aunt Marge's Big Mistake**," she replied happily. But as she looked at the picture underneath the chapter name, it appeared to be the image of an incredibility fat woman rising up and out of a chair. She already knew that this was going to be a memorable chapter.

Kingsley raised his eyebrows, "Aunt Marge?" he repeated. "Who is she? I thought that Harry only had one aunt?"

"I think it's Vernon's sister," Remus said quietly, thinking back to the Sorcerer's Stone. "Wasn't she mentioned in the first book?"

To his surprise, Arthur started to laugh; while Molly gave him a disapproving look.

"It's not funny," she said to him. "Harry could've gotten into serious trouble under different circumstances."

"What on earth are both you talking about?" Moody asked interested.

Arthur just waved his hand at Tonks to keep reading; oh, he was looking forward to hearing this.

**Harry went down to breakfast the next morning to find the three Dursleys already sitting around the kitchen table. They were watching a brand-new television, a welcome-home-for-the-summer present for Dudley, **

"You mean to tell me that Dudley got a present for coming home from school," Sirius said coldly, "And Harry didn't get anything for his birthday?!"

"His birthday?" Severus asked his eyebrows raised.

"Oh," Tonks explained, "The first chapter talked about Harry's thirteenth birthday and how he finally got his first birthday cards. Sad huh?"

Severus just looked away, unimpressed. Though, perhaps a little pity rose in him for the boy. He thought back to his own birthdays—at least his own mother remembered his birthday and gave him a present every year. Not a really expensive or flashy present, but it was the best that she could do.

**who had been complaining loudly about the long walk between the fridge and the television in the living room. **

"How can anyone be that lazy?" Tonks couldn't help but ask.

"Merlin," Molly snarled with suppressed rage, "How can any parent actually spoil their child like this? I swear… one child in that household gets everything he wants and more—while the other doesn't get anything but scraps and leftovers! These people have no right to be parents!"

"That kid is going to be having a rude wakeup call later on in life," Remus muttered, thinking how much damage that Dudley's parents had done to him. Soon, Dudley Dursely was going to have to stand on his own two feet, and he would have to do it without his parents doing it for him.

"Yeah," Sirius muttered darkly. "_Mummy_ and _Daddy_ aren't going to be there holding his hand forever."

**Dudley had spent most of the summer in the kitchen, his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he ate continually.**

Sirius gagged, looking revolted. "That is disgusting. How can Petunia not notice that there is something wrong with her kid?"

_'She can't see what she doesn't want to see,'_ Severus thought to himself. Remembering the jealous girl who used to spy on him and Lily and insult them whenever they were in earshot.

**Harry sat down between Dudley and Uncle Vernon, a large, beefy man with very little neck and a lot of mustache. Far from wishing Harry a happy birthday, none of the Dursleys made any sign that they had noticed Harry enter the room, but Harry was far too used to this to care. **

"Well, some of us DO care," Sirius growled, upset at what Harry had lost and had to go through because he was stupid enough to trust and go after Peter that day. That one little rat ruined so many lives in just that one day! His fingers twitched horribly, a longing to kill the rat filled him once again. A desire to kill so strong that he hadn't felt since that night that he finally found the coward responsible for everything in the Shrieking Shack.

But when Harry told him to stop, he felt his own rage disappear… but now it was back in full force. Wanting to leave this hell and hunt down the rat himself like he set out to do two years ago… Killing Peter was still on one of his life-long mission and he was going to fulfill it someday. This was a promise.

**He helped himself to a piece of toast and then looked up at the reporter on the television, who was halfway through a report on an escaped convict.**

**"… the public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately."**

"And there I am," Sirius muttered bitterly. He didn't think that his name would come up this quickly. But at least he wouldn't have to deal with Harry being told that he was his parents betrayer just yet.

Remus clapped a hand on his shoulder in a comforting way as Tonks read out sadly.

**"No need to tell us he's no good," snorted Uncle Vernon, staring over the top of his newspaper at the prisoner. "Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout! Look at his hair!"**

"And this is coming from Dursley," Moody said thoughtfully.

Sirius had to smirk at that. "Well, if the Dursley's don't like me, I must be decent."

Snape snorted in disagreement. He was getting real tired of listening to all this dull, pointless dribble about Potter's life. He wanted to get to the parts where Black was accused of being a killer!

**He shot a nasty look sideways at Harry, whose untidy hair had always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon. **

"In case you haven't realized this yet after twelve years, Dursely," spat out Sirius angrily. "It just grows that way! He can't help it!"

**Compared to the man on the television, however, whose gaunt face was surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle, Harry felt very well groomed indeed.**

"Uck, did I really look like that?" Sirius asked the room at large. He hadn't looked in a mirror since he escaped Hogwarts with Buckbeak. He was horrified to see that his handsome, aristocratic face had been replaced with a gaunt and skull-like one.

But he took some comfort in the idea that he was still more handsome than Moody.

"Something like that, yes," Remus nodded sadly, remembering seeing the same picture in the Daily Prophet just a few days after the break-out. In fact, if Sirius's name hadn't been underneath the picture, he would've sworn that it was someone else. "Now that you're out of Azkaban, you look much more like old yourself again, but…"

"Right," Sirius said grumpily, running his thin hand over his wasted face. He would never look the same again, he knew that.

**The reporter had reappeared.**

**"The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will announce today —"**

**"Hang on!" barked Uncle Vernon, staring furiously at the reporter. "You didn't tell us where that maniac's escaped from! What use is that? Lunatic could be coming up the street right now!"**

"If I had known the kind of treatment that Harry had to go through while he was there, I would've paid them a visit," Sirius growled. "If only I broke out sooner…"

"Sirius," Remus said gently as everyone looked at him, except for Snape, piteously. "What could you have done? You didn't know what Harry was going through. If you did, I'm sure you would've been there faster than blinking. If there's anyone to blame it's Voldemort and Wormtail. So stop trying to take the credit for what they did!"

Sirius gave him a depressed look but didn't answer. He knew that it was his fault, and having people telling him that it wasn't just made him feel worse. It made him feel as if he just stood back and let this happen. So instead, he just nodded to get them off his back before he heard Tonks reading again.

**Aunt Petunia, who was bony and horse-faced, whipped around and peered intently out of the kitchen window. Harry knew Aunt Petunia would simply love to be the one to call the hot line number. She was the nosiest woman in the world and spent most of her life spying on the boring, law-abiding neighbors.**

Severus rolled his eyes in revulsion. No, Petunia hadn't changed a bit after all these years.

**"When will they learn," said Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his large purple fist, "that hanging's the only way to deal with these people?"**

"Well, I'm glad that he's not in charge of law enforcement," Sirius muttered cynically. "I would've been first to swing."

"What an idiot," Tonks said with a frown as her eyes flashed with anger. "What if the person was framed? What then? That would mean that you just killed an innocent person." She then looked up at her cousin feeling a terrible sadness for him. Sirius had been trapped there after being falsely imprisoned for all these years, and even now—he was still a prisoner. It was really unfair.

**"Very true," said Aunt Petunia, who was still squinting into next door's runner-beans.**

**Uncle Vernon drained his teacup, glanced at his watch, and added, "I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia. Marge's train gets in at ten."**

**Harry, whose thoughts had been upstairs with the Broomstick Servicing Kit, was brought back to earth with an unpleasant bump.**

**"Aunt Marge?" he blurted out. "Sh-she's not coming here, is she?"**

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like her?" Remus said coolly but you could pick up his anger starting to rise again

"She must be bad if Harry's reacting like this," Arthur said frowning.

"But how bad could she be?" Molly asked them. "There is no way that she could be worse than the Durselys."

"Keep reading," Severus said annoyed with all the interruptions, "I'm sure that we'll find out."

**Aunt Marge was Uncle Vernon's sister. Even though she was not a blood relative of Harry's (whose mother had been Aunt Petunia's sister), **

"I don't see how the two of them can be related," Sirius spat. "There is no way that someone as kind and sweet as Lily could possibly be related to that horse."

Severus privately agreed. The two of them couldn't have been more opposite.

**he had been forced to call her 'Aunt' all his life. Aunt Marge lived in the country, in a house with a large garden, where she bred bulldogs.**

**She didn't often stay at Privet Drive, because she couldn't bear to leave her precious dogs, but each of her visits stood out horribly vividly in Harry's mind.**

"That really doesn't sound good," Kingsley pointed out unnecessarily as everyone leaned in to hear more.

**At Dudley's fifth birthday party, Aunt Marge had whacked Harry around the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues. A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry.**

"DOG BISCUITS!?" Molly shrieked, as she gripped her husband's vice like hand.

Sirius stood up and started cursing Marge at the top of his lungs, his face getting redder the angrier he got. Remus was biting his lip and Tonks gripped the book so tightly, that her knuckles looked like they were about to pop out.

Severus was taken aback. He was forced to admit that Potter's home-life wasn't as glamorous as he first thought. But he had no idea that it was this bad. Damn it, why was he suddenly feeling so guilty?

**On her last visit, the year before Harry started at Hogwarts, Harry had accidentally trodden on the tail of her favorite dog. Ripper had chased Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to call him off until past midnight.**

"I hate them all," Molly muttered viciously as she sniffled. "How can they treat a child like this?! You think that Harry wasn't human or something!"

"She's just as horrible as the Dursleys," Remus said. "The entire Dursley family is just rotten. There is no other explanation. I don't understand how these Muggles could've gotten away with all this for years."

"They won't for much longer," Sirius barked in fury.

Severus was lost in his own thoughts once again. He remembered seeing that memory during those long Occlumency lessons, and his pity rose even higher. Looks like he and the boy had more in common than he ever thought.

**The memory of this incident still brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes.**

**"Marge'll be here for a week," Uncle Vernon snarled, "and while we're on the subject," he pointed a fat finger threateningly at Harry, "we need to get a few things straight before I go and collect her."**

**Dudley smirked and withdrew his gaze from the television. Watching Harry being bullied by Uncle Vernon was Dudley's favorite form of entertainment.**

**"Firstly," growled Uncle Vernon, "you'll keep a civil tongue in your head when you're talking to Marge."**

**"All right," said Harry bitterly, "if she does when she's talking to me."**

"You tell him Harry," Sirius smirked.

"I think he's trying to tell them that he's not going to be taking anymore crap that they have to dish out," Moody stated with a nasty grin.

**"Secondly," said Uncle Vernon, acting as though he had not heard Harry's reply, "as Marge doesn't know anything about your abnormality, I don't want any — any funny stuff while she's here. You behave yourself, got me?"**

**"I will if she does," said Harry through gritted teeth.**

"Thatta boy," Sirius said approvingly. "Show them whose boss."

**"And thirdly," said Uncle Vernon, his mean little eyes now slits in his great purple face, "we've told Marge you attend St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys."**

"WHAT?" was the general outcry that ran through the room.

"For the love of Merlin!" Remus said in outrage.

"How dare he tell her that?" Molly screeched her voice full of fury. "Harry is not a criminal! How dare he try to pass that off?!"

"He's an idiotic git!" Tonks yelled, "What did you expect?"

**"What?" Harry yelled.**

**"And you'll be sticking to that story, boy, or there'll be trouble," spat Uncle Vernon.**

"HARRY! IT'S HARRY!" cried Sirius angrily. "He has a name! I know that you have a brain the size of an ant, but the word Harry isn't that complicated!"

He started breathing harshly as though he had just run miles, and there was a dribble of spit coming from the corner of his mouth. He looked quite mad at that point.

"Ah, ok," said Remus a little apprehensively. "Just… just calm down, Padfoot. This is all in the past remember?"

"Why?" Sirius demanded as he wiped his mouth. "Why do we have to have to hear about these heartless bastards again?"

"W-we don't know," Arthur said, fear in his face. "But now that we know what they'd done, we can stop it. We can make sure that it never happens again and…"

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place!" Sirius cut them off looking furious.

Kingsley nudged Tonks and jerked his head at the book, silently telling her to continue before Sirius went on a killing spree.

**Harry sat there, white-faced and furious, staring at Uncle Vernon, hardly able to believe it. Aunt Marge coming for a weeklong visit — it was the worst birthday present the Dursleys had ever given him, including that pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

"This doesn't count as a birthday present," Kingsley said darkly. "They would've at least acknowledged that it was his birthday before they told him."

"Who cares?" Mad-Eye said. "Looks like the boy is stuck with another Dursley for a week. I would go even madder than I am now if I had to be stuck with them."

"I don't blame you for that," Tonks said dully.

**"Well, Petunia," said Uncle Vernon, getting heavily to his feet, "I'll be off to the station, then. Want to come along for the ride, Dudders?"**

**"No," said Dudley, whose attention had returned to the television now that Uncle Vernon had finished threatening Harry.**

**"Duddy's got to make himself smart for his auntie," said Aunt Petunia, smoothing Dudley's thick blond hair. "Mummy's bought him a lovely new bow-tie."**

"Oh, a new bow-tie!" mimicked Sirius in his girlie voice, and clapped his hands in a mock-excited way. "Which will not be seen under all those chins, so he could be wearing anything under there."

**Uncle Vernon clapped Dudley on his porky shoulder.**

**"See you in a bit, then," he said, and he left the kitchen.**

**Harry, who had been sitting in a kind of horrified trance, had a sudden idea. Abandoning his toast, he got quickly to his feet and followed Uncle Vernon to the front door.**

**Uncle Vernon was pulling on his car coat.**

**"I'm not taking you," he snarled as he turned to see Harry watching him.**

"Call me crazy—which I know I am," Mad-Eye said. "But I don't think that he wanted to go in the first place. It sounds like he's after something to me."

"What on earth could he be after?" Molly asked him.

"Maybe he's asking if he could hide in his room for the next week?" Kingsley shrugged.

**"Like I wanted to come," said Harry coldly. "I want to ask you something."**

**Uncle Vernon eyed him suspiciously.**

**"Third years at Hog — at my school are allowed to visit the village sometimes," said Harry.**

"Harry, there's no point in telling him this, he won't sign the form for you," muttered Molly sadly.

"Not willingly at least," Sirius scowled.

**"So?" snapped Uncle Vernon, taking his car keys from a hook next to the door.**

**"I need you to sign the permission form," said Harry in a rush.**

**"And why should I do that?" sneered Uncle Vernon.**

"To show that you might actually have an ounce of kindness in that empty heart somewhere?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

"He's to mean to have a heart," Tonks disagreed.

**"Well," said Harry, choosing his words carefully, "it'll be hard work, pretending to Aunt Marge I go to that St. Whatsits…"**

**"St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, and Harry was pleased to hear a definite note of panic in Uncle Vernon's voice.**

**"Exactly," said Harry, looking calmly up into Uncle Vernon's large, purple face. "It's a lot to remember. I'll have to make it sound convincing, won't I? What if I accidentally let something slip?"**

Sirius, who just realized what Harry was planning, began to laugh for the first time since the chapter started. "Ah, blackmail. The best form of bribery and the most reliable."

"Clever," Remus nodded with a slight smile, but it then quickly faded when he thought it all over. Harry never went to Hogsmeade while he was still teaching… at least, not that he was aware of anyway. So if Harry did make some kind of deal with them, why didn't they sign the form? Something must've happened to prevent that.

**"You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you?" roared Uncle Vernon, advancing on Harry with his fist raised. **

"Hurt just one hair on his head, Dursley," Sirius threatened so venomously, that everyone stared at him worriedly and several of them actually inched away from him, just in case he attacked them.

**But Harry stood his ground.**

**"Knocking the stuffing out of me won't make Aunt Marge forget what I could tell her," he said grimly.**

"You tell him Harry," Sirius said fiercely. "Show them that you aren't going to take it anymore."

**Uncle Vernon stopped, his fist still raised, his face an ugly puce.**

**"But if you sign my permission form," Harry went on quickly, "I swear I'll remember where I'm supposed to go to school, and I'll act like a Mug — like I'm normal and everything."**

**Harry could tell that Uncle Vernon was thinking it over, even if his teeth were bared and a vein was throbbing in his temple.**

**"Right," he snapped finally. "I shall monitor your behavior carefully during Marge's visit. If, at the end of it, you've toed the line and kept to the story, I'll sign your ruddy form."**

"But would he have signed it though?" Kingsley said wonderingly. "From what I've heard so far of Vernon Dursley, he's the kind of person who would easily lie as long as he gets what he wants."

"Seeing how Harry wasn't allowed to go that year," Remus said sourly. "It wouldn't surprise me if that's what happened."

"What a git," Tonks spat out as a muscle was going in Sirius's jaw. How can you do that to a kid? All you had to do is sign your name! That's it! It's not like you're expected to pay any money or do anything hard."

"As awful as he is," Arthur said shaking his head, "I think he would've signed it if Harry fulfilled his side of the deal. Don't forget, he fears Harry as much as he hates him. I think he would've been afraid that Harry might use magic against him. Or at the very least, go and ask someone else to do it for him."

"That is a wonderful idea," Sirius snarled. He already came up with several hundred ways to get the Dursleys back. If he could, he was planning on making them suffer everyday for the rest of their lives like they made Harry suffer.

**He wheeled around, pulled open the front door, and slammed it so hard that one of the little panes of glass at the top fell out.**

**Harry didn't return to the kitchen. He went back upstairs to his bedroom. If he was going to act like a real Muggle, heed better start now. Slowly and sadly he gathered up all his presents and his birthday cards and hid them under the loose floorboard with his homework. Then he went to Hedwig's cage. Errol seemed to have recovered; he and Hedwig were both asleep, heads under their wings. Harry sighed, then poked them both awake.**

**"Hedwig," he said gloomily, "you're going to have to clear off for a week. Go with Errol. Ron'll look after you. I'll write him a note, explaining. And don't look at me like that" — Hedwig's large amber eyes were reproachful — "it's not my fault. It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione."**

Molly sighed, wishing there was another way for Harry to be able to get his permission form signed. It wasn't fair that Harry had to put away the birthday presents he just got, and send away the only friend he had on Privet Drive.

"I love that owl," Tonks sighed. "She's got real character. It's going to be lonely without her there."

"Yeah, that's what makes her so special," Remus said smiling. "She really seems to be close to Harry isn't she?"

"Doesn't surprise me," Kingsley said. "Sounds like she's more of a family to him then all three Dursleys combined."

**Ten minutes later, Errol and Hedwig (who had a note to Ron bound to her leg) soared out of the window and out of sight. Harry, now feeling thoroughly miserable, put the empty cage away inside the wardrobe.**

**But Harry didn't have long to brood. In next to no time, Aunt Petunia was shrieking up the stairs for Harry to come down and get ready to welcome their guest.**

**"Do something about your hair!" Aunt Petunia snapped as he reached the hall.**

**Harry couldn't see the point of trying to make his hair lie flat. Aunt Marge loved criticizing him, so the untidier he looked, the happier she would be.**

Snape shifted uncomfortably—this was reminding him a lot like how he treated the boy. And he knew that he didn't want to be compared to this like this nauseating hag. But there was no chance in hell that he was ever going to be acting nice to him no matter what he heard.

**All too soon, there was a crunch of gravel outside as Uncle Vernon's car pulled back into the driveway, then the clunk of the car doors and footsteps on the garden path.**

**"Get the door!" Aunt Petunia hissed at Harry.**

**A feeling of great gloom in his stomach, Harry pulled the door open.**

**On the threshold stood Aunt Marge. She was very like Uncle Vernon: large, beefy, and purple-faced, she even had a mustache, though not as bushy as his.**

Everyone thought over that description, their faces looking disgusted.

"Flattering isn't it?" Sirius said sarcastically, just as Severus spoke up and said just as sarcastic, "Sounds like a real winner."

Severus and Sirius glanced at each other in slight surprise, then looked away, both feeling irritated.

"No wonder she lives alone with just her dogs," Remus laughed at the two of them.

"Hey," Sirius told him. "I'll have you know that there is nothing wrong with dogs. It's how they're raised that determines how they turn out."

"Well, that explains what happened with you," muttered Severus under his breath.

"Sorry, Snape," Sirius said mockingly as he held up a hand to his hear to hear better. "What did you say? Didn't hear that."

Severus just rolled his eyes and told him to shut up.

**In one hand she held an enormous suitcase, and tucked under the other was an old and evil-tempered bulldog.**

**"Where's my Dudders?" roared Aunt Marge. "Where's my neffy poo?"**

"Neffy-poo?" Tonks repeated in incredulously as the others roared with laughter. "And I thought my name was terrible."

"Oh, God," Sirius chortled, "That's even worse than Diddykins! What is with this family and names?"

**Dudley came waddling down the hall, his blond hair plastered flat to his fat head, a bow tie just visible under his many chins. Aunt Marge thrust the suitcase into Harry's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, seized Dudley in a tight one-armed hug, and planted a large kiss on his cheek.**

Sirius began to gag as everyone else looked a little sick. They all shared a silent agreement that they would've washed their cheek with soap if that had been them.

**Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley only put up with Aunt Marge's hugs because he was well paid for it, and sure enough, when they broke apart, Dudley had a crisp twenty-pound note clutched in his fat fist.**

"They have to pay him to try and be polite?" Molly cried out. "Just when I think they couldn't be any worse parents."

"There are some things in this world that you just have to grin and bear without expecting anything in return," Arthur said frowning again. "And being polite is one of them."

**"Petunia!" shouted Aunt Marge, striding past Harry as though he was a hat-stand. Aunt Marge and Aunt Petunia kissed, or rather, Aunt Marge bumped her large jaw against Aunt Petunias bony cheekbone.**

**Uncle Vernon now came in, smiling jovially as he shut the door.**

**"Tea, Marge?" he said. "And what will Ripper take?"**

"Oh," Molly said hysterically. "So you treat the dog better than you treat your own nephew! Good God, what is wrong with you bastards!?"

It showed just how upset she was, because Molly only swore when she was beyond angry. Arthur just wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulders and held her tight until she calmed down.

**"Ripper can have some tea out of my saucer," said Aunt Marge as they all proceeded into the kitchen, leaving Harry alone in the hall with the suitcase. But Harry wasn't complaining; any excuse not to be with Aunt Marge was fine by him, so he began to heave the case upstairs into the spare bedroom, taking as long as he could.**

**By the time he got back to the kitchen, Aunt Marge had been supplied with tea and fruitcake, and Ripper was lapping noisily in the corner. Harry saw Aunt Petunia wince slightly as specks of tea and drool flecked her clean floor. Aunt Petunia hated animals.**

"Yet she married one, and helped to make another," said Moody sardonically. "So I think she likes them more than she cares to admit!"

That earned a few laughs, though they were still angry at this.

**"Who's looking after the other dogs, Marge?" Uncle Vernon asked.**

**"Oh, I've got Colonel Fubster managing them," boomed Aunt Marge. "He's retired now, good for him to have something to do. But I couldn't leave poor old Ripper. He pines if he's away from me."**

**Ripper began to growl again as Harry sat down. This directed Aunt Marge's attention to Harry for the first time.**

"Oh, so that Ripper," Sirius growled. So that was the dog that chased Harry up that tree and left him there until pass midnight. That mutt was a disgrace to dogs everywhere. It should've chased Dudley up that tree instead.

**"So!" she barked. "Still here, are you?"**

**"Yes," said Harry.**

**"Don't you say 'yes' in that ungrateful tone," Aunt Marge growled. **

"Why shouldn't he? It's not like he's welcomed there," Arthur said heatedly.

**"It's damn good of Vernon and Petunia to keep you. Wouldn't have done it myself. You'd have gone straight to an orphanage if you'd been dumped on my doorstep."**

"And I'm sure that he would've been treated better in an orphanage than there," Sirius muttered, "I rather see him in an orphanage than with them!"

**Harry was bursting to say that he'd rather live in an orphanage than with the Dursleys, but the thought of the Hogsmeade form stopped him. He forced his face into a painful smile.**

**"Don't you smirk at me!" boomed Aunt Marge. "I can see you haven't improved since I last saw you. I hoped school would knock some manners into you." **

"Harry already has excellent manners," Molly snapped through gritted teeth. "But unfortunately, you don't see that do you? After all, he just carried your case upstairs without you asking, didn't he?"

**She took a large gulp of tea, wiped her mustache, and said, "Where is it that you send him, again, Vernon?"**

**"St. Brutus's," said Uncle Vernon promptly. "It's a first-rate institution for hopeless cases."**

"Then why didn't Vernon and Dudley go there?" Tonks muttered as Moody let out a harsh laugh.

**"I see," said Aunt Marge. "Do they use the cane at St. Brutus's, boy?" she barked across the table.**

**"Er —"**

**Uncle Vernon nodded curtly behind Aunt Marge's back.**

**"Yes," said Harry. Then, feeling he might as well do the thing properly, he added, "All the time."**

**"Excellent," said Aunt Marge. "I won't have this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it. A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Have you been beaten often?"**

Molly was getting more furious by the second. Beating people, especially children, was wrong no matter who it was. Especially, if that child hadn't done a thing to her or anyone else. "I hate her," she muttered jittery.

"You and the rest of humanity," Sirius said drearily.

**"Oh, yeah," said Harry, "loads of times."**

**Aunt Marge narrowed her eyes.**

**"I still don't like your tone, boy," she said. "If you can speak of your beatings in that casual way, they clearly aren't hitting you hard enough. Petunia, I'd write if I were you. Make it clear that you approve the use of extreme force in this boy's case."**

"Do they know the first thing about Harry? They're treating him like he's some rotten kid," Sirius said fuming, before turning his glare to Snape as though he said something, "Funny, isn't it? They seem to treat him kinda like you do. Strange how it all looks that way doesn't it?"

"Are you trying to say something to me, Black?" Severus asked him frostily. Truthfully, he himself had just been thinking the same thing, and he was feeling those foreign feelings of guilt take hold once again. Why was he feeling things like pity and guilt for Potter's son?

**Perhaps Uncle Vernon was worried that Harry might forget their bargain; in any case, he changed the subject abruptly.**

**"Heard the news this morning, Marge? What about that escaped prisoner, eh?"**

**As Aunt Marge started to make herself at home, Harry caught himself thinking almost longingly of life at number four without her. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia usually encouraged Harry to stay out of their way, which Harry was only too happy to do. Aunt Marge, on the other hand, wanted Harry under her eye at all times, so that she could boom out suggestions for his improvement. She delighted in comparing Harry with Dudley,**

"That's not a good comparison," Remus scoffed.

"Sure it is," said Arthur, "It makes Harry look better."

"There's no _comparison_ at all!" Sirius yelled exasperated. "Unless you're completely blind, how can you compare such a great kid like Harry to spoiled rotten Dudley?"

"I'm beginning to think that these people are blind," Kingsley stated as he folded his hands and looked solicitous.

**and took huge pleasure in buying Dudley expensive presents while glaring at Harry, as though daring him to ask why he hadn't got a present too. **

"Who would want a present from that cow?" Molly snarled. "I wouldn't have touched anything from her."

**She also kept throwing out dark hints about what made Harry such an unsatisfactory person.**

"Blimey," Tonks said as she turned her hair to her favorite, bubble-gum pink and went on to say, "He had to sit there and take all that for a week? He's got the patience of a saint."

"Could've fooled me," Severus said. Though he was a little impressed that Potter hadn't cracked long before this happened.

**"You mustn't blame yourself for the way the boy's turned out, Vernon," she said over lunch on the third day. "If there's something rotten on the inside, there's nothing anyone can do about it."**

"There's nothing wrong with Harry," Molly said hotly, and the others nodded in agreement, even Severus, though he looked as though he nodded against his will. He personally thought, anyone had to be better than someone who's last name was Dursley.

Remus glared at the book as if he suddenly realized something. "She's going to insult James and Lily now."

"Oh, for her sake, she better not," Sirius growled. He honestly didn't know just how much more he could take hearing about this woman before he snapped, hunted her down, and killed her like the lowlife that she was.

**Harry tried to concentrate on his food, but his hands shook and his face was starting to burn with anger. Remember the form, he told himself. Think about Hogsmeade. Don't say anything. Don't rise —**

**Aunt Marge reached for her glass of wine.**

**"It's one of the basic rules of breeding," she said. "You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup —"**

"SHE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!" Sirius shouted angrily. "HOW DARE SHE?! SHE'S LUCKY THAT I'M STUCK HERE OR I WOULD'VE…"

Exactly what he was going to do, no one knew because at that moment, the whole room was shouting.

"THAT OLD COW!"

"HOW COULD SHE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT ABOUT SOMEONE'S MOTHER WHEN THEY WERE SITTING IN THE SAME ROOM?"

"SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW LILY!"

Once everyone had shouted themselves hoarse, except for Snape who didn't move or say anything, Sirius got up and called out. "Ok, who wants to come with me and curse her?"

All of them raised their hands. Remus was beside himself with fury; Lily was one of the nicest people that he ever met and to hear her insulted like this was more than he could bear. Molly and Arthur were just furious that anyone would have the gall to say all that right in front of Harry and they couldn't blame him for blowing her up. Even Severus was glaring at the book, like he wanted to rip it to shreds.

Luckily, no one noticed this because Tonks went on reading.

**At that moment, the wineglass Aunt Marge was holding exploded in her hand. Shards of glass flew in every direction and Aunt Marge sputtered and blinked, her great ruddy face dripping.**

"Harry, no," Molly sighed. "I don't blame you for losing your temper, but you're going to be getting into some serious trouble if you don't calm down."

"He's still doing accidental magic at his age?" Remus asked shocked, cocking an eyebrow slightly. "He must have a lot more power than we thought."

"Looks like it," murmured Moody as he yawned. "What do you know? Maybe we aren't screwed with him fighting Voldemort after all."

"Don't say that," Molly called to him. Sirius was looking angry again. Not just at the Dursleys, but because Molly took his line. He hated that he was starting to sound like her. But the idea of Harry anywhere near Voldemort felt like a punch in the gut.

Snape rolled his eyes and sneered, refusing to admit that Moody might be right. "Yes, but Potter appears to only be able to do so when he is over-emotional, which as you know is dangerous for him."

"Well, no one asked you," Sirius howled at him.

**"Marge!" squealed Aunt Petunia. "Marge, are you all right?"**

**"Not to worry," grunted Aunt Marge, mopping her face with her napkin. "Must have squeezed it too hard. Did the same thing at Colonel Fubster's the other day. No need to fuss, Petunia, I have a very firm grip…"**

**But Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were both looking at Harry suspiciously, so he decided he'd better skip dessert and escape from the table as soon as he could.**

**Outside in the hall, he leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. It had been a long time since he'd lost control and made something explode. He couldn't afford to let it happen again. The Hogsmeade form wasn't the only thing at stake — if he carried on like that, he'd be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic.**

**Harry was still an underage wizard, and he was forbidden by wizard law to do magic outside school. His record wasn't exactly clean either. Only last summer he'd gotten an official warning that had stated quite clearly that if the Ministry got wind of any more magic in Privet Drive, Harry would face expulsion from Hogwarts.**

"No, they wouldn't. It's only accidental magic. Harry won't be expelled for that," Arthur said with a nod. "Anyway, it's not as if the Ministry's like it is today… with it trying so hard to discredit and expel him."

"Yes, but you forget that he was still blamed for Dobby doing magic the year before," Remus argued. "That came back and got him into trouble."

"Even though it wasn't even his fault?" Sirius muttered sourly, but found he couldn't be angry at the little elf no matter how hard he tried.

"Still counted against him though," replied Kingsley reasonably.

"That's not fair," Tonks muttered grimly.

"Life isn't fair," Severus hissed, more to himself than to her.

**He heard the Dursleys leaving the table and hurried upstairs out of the way.**

**Harry got through the next three days by forcing himself to think about his Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare whenever Aunt Marge started on him. This worked quite well, though it seemed to give him a glazed look, because Aunt Marge started voicing the opinion that he was mentally subnormal.**

"It's just a miracle he's not after living with those people for so long!" snapped Sirius. Good Lord, looks like he wasn't the only one who was fighting to stay sane after all these years.

**At last, at long last, the final evening of Marge's stay arrived.**

"Finally!" Remus cried. "And good riddance."

"So we're finally going to learn just what Marge's _big_ mistake was," Molly sighed. She had always wondered just what happened that night to make Harry actually blow up an aunt and then run away. Though now that she was about to find out, she wasn't so sure she wanted to hear it.

"Whatever happens," Sirius stated. "I'm betting that Marge deserved it."

**Aunt Petunia cooked a fancy dinner and Uncle Vernon uncorked several bottles of wine. They got all the way through the soup and the salmon without a single mention of Harry's faults; during the lemon meringue pie, Uncle Vernon bored them a with a long talk about Grunnings, his drill-making company; then Aunt Petunia made coffee and Uncle Vernon brought out a bottle of brandy.**

**"Can I tempt you, Marge?"**

**Aunt Marge had already had quite a lot of wine. Her huge face was very red.**

**"Just a small one, then," she chuckled. "A bit more than that… and a bit more… that's the ticket."**

**Dudley was eating his fourth slice of pie. **

"Fourth slice of pie?" Sirius groaned. "What a pig."

"Sirius, you do know that you eat about the same at every meal don't you?" Molly asked him with her eyebrows raised.

"Which I have a good reason!" Sirius said dramatically. "Twelve years in Azkaban, eating nothing but that disgusting slop twice a day. That stuff was hardly edible!"

"Twice a day?" Tonks asked him. "No wonder you eat so much. You've got twelve years of meals to catch up on."

**Aunt Petunia was sipping coffee with her little finger sticking out. Harry really wanted to disappear into his bedroom, but he met Uncle Vernon's angry little eyes and knew he would have to sit it out.**

**"Aah," said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down. "Excellent nosh, Petunia. It's normally just a fry-up for me of an evening, with twelve dogs to look after…" She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach. "Pardon me. But I do like to see a healthy-sized boy," she went on, winking at Dudley. "You'll be a proper-sized man, Dudders, like your father. Yes, I'll have a spot more brandy, Vernon…"**

"Proper-sized?" Molly asked shocked. She always made sure that her children were well-fed and healthy, but she would never go overboard like this! "He's got FOUR CHINS! That's not healthy!"

**"Now, this one here —"**

**She jerked her head at Harry, who felt his stomach clench. The Handbook, he thought quickly.**

**"This one's got a mean, runty look about him. You get that with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year. Ratty little thing it was. Weak. Underbred."**

The atmosphere in the room was suddenly tense again as everyone began to glare at the book again, all of them daring Marge to say one more word.

"Did she just suggest that Harry should be drowned?" Sirius asked in his deadly quiet voice that sent shivers up your spine.

"He isn't underbred _or_ weak," Tonks said defensively. "I'd like to see her fight Voldemort, giant spiders, a three-headed dog, a troll, _and_ a Basilisk. Then maybe she'll see that she's the one who's the problem."

Sirius grinned broadly at the thought of feeding the Dursleys to Fluffy or to Aragog…

**Harry was trying to remember page twelve of his book: A Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers.**

**"It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out. Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia" — she patted Aunt Petunia's bony hand with her shovel-like one "but your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us."**

"Wastrel!" Sirius roared. "Did she just call my friend, _my_—_best—friend_ a _WASTREL_?" Sirius was so angry that when he hit the table he smashed a leg off, causing everyone to shout and jump in surprise.

Kingsley pulled out his wand and repaired the table as other calls of outrage, and not just from Sirius, filled the room once more.

"How can anyone be this horrible?" Arthur yelled.

"She's got everything backwards," Remus growled. Now, it took a lot to push his patience over the edge, but all you have to do is mention the word Dursley's and he hit the ceiling. "The Dursleys are vile, horrible people. James and Lily were the ones who everyone misses every day."

No one, though for Snape it only for Lily, could disagree and they all fell silent for a few minutes. Even Tonks, who never meet the Potters, felt a sense of grief for everyone who did know them.

**Harry was staring at his plate, a funny ringing in his ears. Grasp your broom firmly by the tail, he thought. But he couldn't remember what came next. Aunt Marge's voice seemed to be boring into him like one of Uncle Vernon's drills.**

**"This Potter," said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the tablecloth, "you never told me what he did?"**

Snape had relaxed slightly when he heard Marge insulting James Potter, who he did on a daily basis. But his fury at what she said about Lily was rising so fast that he longed to go out and curse the woman into jelly.

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to gape at his parents.**

**"He — didn't work," said Uncle Vernon, with half a glance at Harry. "Unemployed."**

"IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE TRUTH THEN JUST DON'T ANSWER!" Sirius bellowed. "James had a family to take care of and had work to do with the Order! He didn't have any spare time to get a job with a corrupted Ministry!" Besides, it wasn't that he needed a good paying job anyway. He had more than enough to support them all for years to come.

**"As I expected!" said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. "A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who —"**

**"He was not," said Harry suddenly. The table went very quiet. Harry was shaking all over. He had never felt so angry in his life.**

**"MORE BRANDY!" yelled Uncle Vernon, who had gone very white. He emptied the bottle into Aunt Marge's glass. "You, boy," he snarled at Harry. "Go to bed, go on —"**

"Now he grows a brain!" Mad-Eye said in mock celebration. "He should've let the boy go to bed earlier so that they could've avoided this situation."

**"No, Vernon," hiccupped Aunt Marge, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's. "Go on, boy, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash (drunk, I expect) —"**

"I think that you're the last person to be talking about being drunk you c***" Sirius then bellowed at the top of his lungs. How dare this woman insult Lily and James like that? No one was going to smear the names of his best friends as long as he was still alive. Marge had gotten away with it for this long, but she had just jumped up to the top of his revenge list.

"Shut up! Just shut up you horrible old hag!" Molly hissed, her cheeks red from her anger, and the others weren't faring much better. They were all feeling the urge to do something to that pathetic excuse for a human being.

**"They didn't die in a car crash!" said Harry, who found himself on his feet.**

**"They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!" screamed Aunt Marge, swelling with fury. "You are an insolent, ungrateful little —"**

**But Aunt Marge suddenly stopped speaking. For a moment, it looked as though words had failed her. She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger — but the swelling didn't stop.**

"What?" Kingsley asked in confusion.

"That what it says," Tonks repeated just as confused. "_But the swelling didn't stop_."

It was at that moment, Sirius's, who was looking murderous, suddenly had a giant grin slowly spreading across his face, which scared them all more than his reckless fury did.

Remus on the other hand seemed to have understood as well because he said, shaking his head, "He didn't!"

"Oh, I know he did," Sirius said, grinning like a manic, looking mental again.

"What did he do?" Tonks asked not getting it. Now, she really didn't mind if Harry cursed Marge, but she didn't want him to get in trouble for it.

"He's blowing her up like a balloon," Mad-Eye stated as he began to laugh almost cruelly.

"NO!" Tonks cried out excitedly.

"Oh, yes," Sirius cheered. "Can't say she didn't have it coming. That's what she gets for insulting Prongs, Lily, and Harry."

**Her great red face started to expand, her tiny eyes bulged, and her mouth stretched too tightly for speech — next second, several buttons had just burst from her tweed jacket and pinged off the walls — she was inflating like a monstrous balloon, her stomach bursting free of her tweed waistband, each of her fingers blowing up like a salami…**

"YES!" Sirius called out as the whole room collapsed into roars of laughter, even Severus shared a small smirk at Marge's expense.

"Oh Merlin, that's incredible," Remus laughed as he applauded loudly.

"Good one Harry," Sirius grinned, wanting to hug the teen right now.

**"MARGE!" yelled Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia together as Aunt Marge's whole body began to rise off her chair toward the ceiling. She was entirely round, now, like a vast life buoy with piggy eyes, and her hands and feet stuck out weirdly as she drifted up into the air, making apoplectic popping noises. Ripper came skidding into the room, barking madly.**

**"NOOOOOOO!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized one of Marge's feet and tried to pull her down again, but was almost lifted from the floor himself. A second later, Ripper leapt forward and sank his teeth into Uncle Vernon's leg.**

"First time that dog did something right," Sirius said. Maybe there was hope for this mutt after all.

**Harry tore from the dining room before anyone could stop him, heading for the cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard door burst magically open as he reached it. **

Snape shook his head, looking unimpressed. But inwardly he was actually slightly awed with the power that Potter had when he let his emotions take over. Which was still dangerous for someone like him. He blinked in horror. Did he just sound concerned for Potter?

"Harry really does have a lot of power to be able to do that without a wand," Kingsley noted. "Remind me not to make that kid angry."

"That is a good piece of advice," Remus laughed. "With James and Lily for parents, looks like he inherited both of their tempers."

"Great," Severus said impatiently.

**In seconds, he had heaved his trunk to the front door. He sprinted upstairs and threw himself under the bed, wrenching up the loose floorboard, and grabbed the pillowcase full of his books and birthday presents. He wriggled out, seized Hedwig's empty cage, and dashed back downstairs to his trunk, just as Uncle Vernon burst out of the dining room, his trouser leg in bloody tatters.**

**"COME BACK IN HERE!" he bellowed. "COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!"**

"Guess the Dursleys found out the hard way that just because a wizard doesn't have their wand it doesn't mean they're safe," Moody said with a harsh laugh.

**But a reckless rage had come over Harry. He kicked his trunk open, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Uncle Vernon.**

"No Harry, Molly frowned. "Don't curse them."

"Why not? He deserves a curse as much as his sister did," Tonks smirked knowingly.

"I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve it," Molly told her. "But he could get into even more trouble if he cursed them as well."

**"She deserved it," Harry said, breathing very fast. "She deserved what she got. You keep away from me."**

"Never heard truer words spoken before," Sirius nodded. He suddenly didn't care what happened, just as long as Harry got out of that house and as far away from those Dursleys as possible.

**He fumbled behind him for the latch on the door.**

**"I'm going," Harry said. "I've had enough."**

**And in the next moment, he was out in the dark, quiet street, heaving his heavy trunk behind him, Hedwig's cage under his arm.**

"And that," Tonks said closing the book and throwing it away from her as if it was something dirty. "I am so glad that that's over with. Someone else read."

"He ran away!" Sirius cheered both happy and scared for Harry at the same time.

"He ran away," Molly groaned, shaking her head. "Just great."

"Sounds familiar," Remus said shaking his head and looked at Sirius. "That sounds like how you ran off. Only you said that you just yelled at your parents a lot and took off before they could do anything. You then took the Night Bus to James's place."

"Déjà vu," Sirius nodded, remembering that night and he thought that he was free from this dump of a house once and for all. But now he was trapped back in the home that he was so desperate to be rid of.

"That's not good," Kingsley worriedly. "Where is he going to go now?"

"Who cares as long as he is away from the Dursleys?" Mad-Eye replied unconcerned.

"_I_ care first of all," Molly snapped at him. "You of all people should know how dangerous it is on the streets! Especially for a child who now thinks he's in trouble! Where did he think he could go? We were all still in Egypt, and Hermione was in France! Where did he think he could stay?"

Arthur smiled. "He'll be fine," he reminded her. Once again, no one wanted to say anything, digesting what they just heard. They were all thinking about how anyone could actually be forced to live in a house like that. How could anyone go through all that and not run off sooner?

They didn't blame him for one minute for taking off like that. After a long time of sitting there and not saying anything, Molly finally reached forward and took the book.

"I want to know what happens," she told them all as she turned to the third chapter. Since no one else could think of something to say to that, they just nodded as the turned their attention to her and waited for her to speak.

Molly sighed as she found the right page and read out, "**Chapter 3: The Night Bus**."

**(Good. Another chapter is done! Hope you enjoyed it, and I bet that no one expected Snape to come back so soon. I had this thought of Dumbledore wanting him to get over his ridiculous grudges and move on with his life so I thought that this would be a good time to put it in.)**


	5. The Knight Bus

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 3: The Knight Bus**

Molly sighed as she found the right page and read out, "**Chapter 3: The Knight Bus**."

"The Knight Bus?" Kingsley repeated as he leaned over to see the picture of Harry standing in front a row of beds all lined up underneath windows—which he recognized as part of the Knight Bus. "Well, that's good. I was worried that he was going to be stranded on the streets. It isn't safe, especially for Harry. Who knows the kind of people he could've run into out there?"

Sirius suddenly looked up, remembering something as though from a long-forgotten memory. This was the night… it was this night that he finally got his first glimpse of Harry since that horrific Halloween night. He knew that he was risking everything by going to see him, but he couldn't help himself. After all, Harry was the only thing that kept him sane during his imprisonment.

He couldn't believe that he forgotten that memory. Months of being trapped in this house was taking a toll, not only on his sanity, but his memory as well. He was suddenly having mixed feelings about these books. Yes, he wasn't happy about having all his mistakes slapping him in the face again, but he couldn't deny that he wanted to know everything. To have some part of his godson's life… was that too much to ask for?

**Harry was several streets away before he collapsed onto a low wall in Magnolia Crescent, panting from the effort of dragging his trunk. He sat quite still, anger still surging through him, listening to the frantic thumping of his heart.**

**But after ten minutes alone in the dark street, a new emotion overtook him: panic. **

Remus and Sirius both burst out laughing.

"What is it?" Tonks asked his worried for them. How could they think that Harry panicking is a good thing? "What on earth is so funny?"

"That's exactly how Lily was," Remus chortled, tears of laughter in his eyes. "She acted first, thought after… especially when she got angry. When she lost her temper, I swear, I don't remember seeing anything so terrifying. She could strike fear into the hearts of any Death Eater. Thing is, she never thought about her actions until she calmed down."

Severus's eyes narrowed in anger. As much as he hated to own up to it, it was true. Lily was the type of person who would always stick up for the underdog… she would fight so fiercely for what she believed to be true, that she always acted first, thought about the consequences later. Why was he seeing more of Lily in Potter's spawn? The boy was the spitting image of his father… why was he suddenly seeing Lily all the time now?

"Funny," Moody said with a yawn. "But I don't see why the boy's panicking. All he had to do was hold his arm out for the damn bus and he's on his way!"

"You keep forgetting just how little he knows about the Wizarding world," Arthur reminded him. "He was brought up by Muggles. And besides, where did he think he could go?"

"Well, then how did he get on the bus?" Molly asked him, though for some reason she saw Sirius flinch slightly out of the corner of her eye as though she had just yelled out the question instead of asking. She looked over at him and was about to ask what was wrong, until Moody said, "If you read then we might find out how he made it out of his predicament."

"OK," she said to him, turning back to the book rolling her eyes. "You don't need to shout."

**Whichever way he looked at it, he had never been in a worse fix.**

"Never been in a worse fix?" Remus asked with his eyebrows raised, "No, I beg to differ with that."

"How could he have forgotten about the troll?" Sirius asked incredulously, "Or the spiders? What about Norbert? Quirrell and Voldemort? How about the Basilisk? Don't tell me that he forgot about them all!"

"Sure looks like it," Kingsley said thoughtfully.

"Dramatic little boy isn't he?" Moody said calmly.

**He was stranded, quite alone, in the dark Muggle world, with absolutely nowhere to go. And the worst of it was, he had just done serious magic,** **which meant that he was almost certainly expelled from Hogwarts. **

"Nah," Tonks said waving her hand away. "Dumbledore likes you, Harry – you wouldn't have been expelled from this!"

"And don't forget," Arthur stated unhappily, "This was before the world thought that he was crazy. There was no way that they would've expelled the Boy-Who-Lived."

They all looked a little sad at that… and angry. How could people be so cruel as to actually target a teenage boy in the papers every day? Those in the room who had jobs in the Ministry would've quit long ago if they didn't need to spy on Fudge.

**He had broken the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry so badly, he was surprised Ministry of Magic representatives weren't swooping down on him where he sat.**

Moody rolled his eyes, magical and normal, before saying, "And they say that I'm paranoid."

"That's Harry's pessimistic side," Molly said with a nod. Really, when do kids become so dramatic?

**Harry shivered and looked up and down Magnolia Crescent.**

**What, was going to happen to him? Would he be arrested, or would he simply be outlawed from the wizarding world? He thought of Ron and Hermione, and his heart sank even lower. Harry was sure that, criminal or not, Ron and Hermione would want to help him now,**

"Of course, they would," Sirius said quietly. The images of all the times that James had gotten him out of trouble flashed across his mind. "Any real friend would…"

Remus looked at him, guilt ringing through his conscience. Why didn't he try to find out what happened? Why did he just assume that Sirius was the one to blame? He should've somehow gone to Azkaban and spoke with him himself.

Why didn't he? It was the least he could do for the friend that worked so hard to find a way to be with him during the full moon. Why didn't he ever once go and find out the truth from Sirius's mouth? Was it because he truly did believe that Sirius did it? Did he suspect that maybe there was a chance that Sirius was innocent but he feared that he wouldn't be able to do anything about it? Then be forced to live with the knowledge that his friend was in prison for something he didn't do? Or was he just afraid that if he went there, he would find someone who was to blame?

He wasn't sure anymore. But Molly's voice brought him out of his depressing thoughts.

**but they were both abroad, and with Hedwig gone, he had no means of contacting them.**

**He didn't have any Muggle money, either. There was a little wizard gold in the money bag at the bottom of his trunk, but the rest of the fortune his parents had left him was stored in a vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in London. He'd never be able to drag his trunk all the way to London. Unless…**

"Unless what?" Molly said slowly. Now what was he thinking about doing? Something dangerous and reckless no doubt…

**He looked down at his wand, which he was still clutching in his hand. **

"No, Harry," Remus said as everyone shook their heads unbelievingly, "The last thing you want to be doing now is more magic."

**If he was already expelled (his heart was now thumping painfully fast), a bit more magic couldn't hurt. He had the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father — what if he bewitched the trunk to make it feather-light, tied it to his broomstick, covered himself in the cloak, and flew to London?**

"That's ridiculous!" Molly shouted in panic. "He could be seen… he'll be breaking the law even more, he—he could get hurt! And a whole list of horrible things could happen!"

"That has to be the worse idea I've ever heard," Tonks said thinking it over. "I'm not saying that it might not work, but it would definitely be a bad idea right now."

Remus looked at Sirius before laughing. "Lucky you, I've heard worse." He jerked his head at Sirius who smiled in reminisce. "You wouldn't believe some of the crazy plans and ideas that they came up with."

"Good times," Sirius said dreamily. "Good, good times."

"I don't even want to know what you consider a good time, Sirius," Molly muttered to herself before going on.

**Then he could get the rest of his money out of his vault and… begin his life as an outcast. It was a horrible prospect, but he couldn't sit on this wall forever, or he'd find himself trying to explain to Muggle police why he was out in the dead of night with a trunk full of spell books and a broomstick.**

"Oh for goodness sake," Molly cried exasperated, interrupting herself again. "Why are all teenagers so… maddeningly… pessimistic, and reckless? Why don't they think things through before they let their tempers take over?!"

"Because they're teenagers?" Sirius said as if he was speaking the obvious. "It's a scary time for kids. That's when they start to find out more about their lives and what life is like. It doesn't surprise me that Harry's like this. Not only had he inherited both James and Lily's tempers, but he had seen enough of life that's cold and cruel already."

No one could say a word to that. All of them feeling as though a great weight was settling in their stomachs. Molly shuddered slightly as she continued.

**Harry opened his trunk again and pushed the contents aside, looking for the Invisibility Cloak — but before he had found it, he straightened up suddenly, looking around him once more.**

**A funny prickling on the back of his neck had made Harry feel he was being watched, but the street appeared to be deserted, and no lights shone from any of the large square houses.**

**He bent over his trunk again, but almost immediately stood up once more, his hand clenched on his wand. He had sensed rather than heard it:**

Sirius smiled proudly thinking at that, as he shared a grin with Remus, who was also smiling proudly. Even Snape had to grudgingly acknowledge that Potter's senses were impressive.

"Not bad, for a kid anyway," Mad-Eye said as his swirled around to look up and through the ceiling.

**someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind him. Harry squinted at the black alleyway. If only it would move, then he'd know whether it was just a stray cat or — something else.**

"Don't say that," Molly whimpered, picturing some horrible monster or Death Eater coming out of that alley and advancing towards Harry.

"Don't worry," Sirius said simply. "Nothing's going to hurt Harry. Not that night anyway."

"How do you know?" she demanded. He just gave her a grim smile.

"I know that this is a new concept for you," he said, not looking at her. "But trust me when I say that the thing in the alley wasn't there to hurt him."

She stared at him suspiciously, before her eyes widened in understanding. Was he trying to say that it was _him_ who was watching Harry? What in the name of Merlin was he doing there? If he had been caught, it would only have made it look like he was really after Harry. Just what was he trying to do?

She stared at him, unsure of what to say about this until Arthur touched her hand and she snapped back to the task at hand.

**"****Lumos," Harry muttered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand, almost dazzling him. He held it high over his head, and the pebble-dashed walls of number two suddenly sparkled; the garage door gleamed, and between them Harry saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.**

"Oh, so it was only you, Padfoot," said Remus dismissively. At least he tried to sound dismissively. But he knew the full reason why he was there. Harry was the only family that Sirius had left. And he knew that Sirius would never have passed up a chance to see him. He could only imagine just what was going through his friend's head when he saw Harry for the first time in twelve years…

Perhaps it was the same things that were raging on in his own head when he saw the boy on the train? Stunned disbelief and perhaps a feeling of grief and joy mixed together? Though he knew that it was bound to have been worse for Sirius. After all, the man loved that baby boy so much, that sometimes he forgot that it was James who was the father.

"Yeah," Sirius said quietly, remembering the baby that he used to play hide-n-seek with and all sorts of other games… and it tore him up to see that teenage boy. He had missed almost his godson's whole life. It never really dawned on him just how much time had passed until he saw him—looking so much like James—did he realize just how much he had missed.

Harry looked so much like James, that for one brief moment, he forgot that his best friend was now dead and that he was a wanted man. For that moment, it was as if no time had passed and he was picking things up with James like nothing happened. That is until he looked at Harry's face to see Lily's eyes shine with fear did everything come flooding back.

It was bittersweet to finally see the boy he'd loved as his own for the first time in twelve years. And it was also a little disturbing to see him look exactly like his dead best friend. But once his shock had worn off, he remembered worrying about why Harry was wandering the streets by himself at night, dragging a school trunk, and an empty owl cage? Well, now he knew why. Harry had just run off after blowing up an aunt.

He was so close to transforming and making himself known…

He thought that it was going to kill him to stay hidden—he wanted so badly to come out and apologize, to beg for his forgiveness for going after Peter instead of taking care of what was most important to him. For failing to protect and take care of him like he promised he would should Lily and James die…

But just seeing that he was alive and well was all that he wanted, even if it was painful to watch.

Sirius remembered that night so clearly now. He remembered watching Harry, trying so hard not to make any noise and scare the boy, but Harry still heard him anyway. Sirius knew that he should've run… but he couldn't move from that spot.

"What were you doing there?" Molly said to him sternly, interrupting his memories. "Were you trying to get caught? If they found you there, it would've only made it look like you were trying to kill Harry even more!"

"So what?" Sirius told her, though he was a little pleased to hear the slight note of concern in her voice. "They already thought that I was the guilty one. They didn't even give me a damn trial they were that convinced! I know that it was risky," he sighed as he ran his hands through his hair again. "But I just had to see him. Just a glimpse, I just wanted to see him. Though now that I finally know what was going on in that house, I can see that I had every right to be worried!"

Molly opened her mouth to complain, but then she thought about it from his point of view… It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong… he just wanted to see if Harry was safe. She couldn't blame him for that. She just let it go, but her respect for Sirius rose very slightly by his desire to protect those he loved.

**Harry stepped backward. His legs hit his trunk and he tripped. His wand flew out of his hand as he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter.**

**There was a deafening BANG, and Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes against a sudden blinding light…**

**With a yell, he rolled back onto the pavement, just in time. A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying.**

They all let out a breath of relief, none louder than Sirius who remembered the terror that went through him when he saw Harry lying in the pathway of the purple bus. He was about to run out and get him himself, but at that second, Harry rolled and missed the bus by just a hair.

Relief… warm and wonderful relief flooded his system when he saw Harry get out of the way. He couldn't stand the thought of him losing Harry just when he finally found him.

**They belonged, as Harry saw when he raised his head, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus.**

**For a split second, Harry wondered if he had been knocked silly by his fall. Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night.**

**"****Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve—"**

**The conductor stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of Harry, who was still sitting on the ground. **

"You mean to tell me that he just noticed that he was on the ground?" Tonks asked. "Then who did he think he was talking to?"

"Well, Stan isn't what you call the brightest candle in the chandelier is he?" Mad-Eye said thinking about the dim-witted teen.

**Harry snatched up his wand again and scrambled to his feet. Close up, he saw that Stan Shunpike was only a few years older than he was, eighteen or nineteen at most, with large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples.**

**"****What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner.**

"He's making it sound like he did it on purpose," Tonks muttered shaking her head. "He fell over! Anyone with eyes can see that!"

**"****Fell over," said Harry.**

**"'****Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan.**

"Because he likes to roll in the dirt before getting on the bus," Sirius said annoyed. "He didn't do it on purpose, jeez."

**"****I didn't do it on purpose," said Harry, annoyed. One of the knees in his jeans was torn, and the hand he had thrown out to break his fall was bleeding. He suddenly remembered why he had fallen over and turned around quickly to stare at the alleyway between the garage and fence. The Knight Bus's headlamps were flooding it with light, and it was empty.**

**"'****Choo lookin' at?" said Stan.**

**"****There was a big black thing," said Harry, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "Like a dog… but massive…"**

"You know, Padfoot?" Kingsley said, causing Sirius to jump. Only Lily and the other Marauders ever used his nickname. "I think that it was a good thing that you showed up. If you didn't then Harry might never have called the Knight Bus."

Sirius thought about that, and a few people actually chuckled at the realization that, aside from the bus almost running him over, Harry had never been in any danger that night."

**He looked around at Stan, whose mouth was slightly open. With a feeling of unease, Harry saw Stan's eyes move to the scar on Harry's forehead.**

**"****Woss that on your 'ead?" said Stan abruptly.**

**"****Nothing," said Harry quickly, flattening his hair over his scar. If the Ministry of Magic was looking for him, he didn't want to make it too easy for them.**

"'fraid that won't work Harry," Remus said. "Even without the scar, people know your face."

**"****Woss your name?" Stan persisted.**

**"****Neville Longbottom," said Harry, saying the first name that came into his head.**

"Wonder why Neville's name popped into his head?" Tonks asked thoughtfully.

"Well, it's not like he could've said that he was a Weasley," Sirius said reasonably. "He doesn't have red hair."

"Never mind that," Arthur said with a smile. "He actually thinks that he's on the run from the law now doesn't he?"

"Like I said," Molly mumbled flipping the page. "Teenagers are so dramatic."

**"So — so this bus," he went on quickly, hoping to distract Stan, "did you say it goes anywhere?"**

**"****Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, 'long it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater.**

**"****Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, "you did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"**

"Well, not intentionally," Remus says smiling. "But it was a good thing that he did trip."

**"****Yes," said Harry quickly. "Listen, how much would it be to get to London?"**

**"****Eleven Sickles," said Stan, "but for firteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot-water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice."**

"Don't see the point in that," Arthur said. "You can't drink anything on that bus because it's bound to spill everywhere. And even if it doesn't, you feel like you're going to be sick."

"It's the thought that counts," Tonks said brightly.

**Harry rummaged once more in his trunk, extracted his money bag, and shoved some gold into Stan's hand. He and Stan then lifted his trunk, with Hedwig's cage balanced on top, up the steps of the bus.**

**There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-paneled walls. A tiny wizard in a nightcap at the rear of the bus muttered, "Not now, thanks, I'm pickling some slugs" and rolled over in his sleep.**

Tonks began to giggle as everyone looked up with strange expressions. "Pickling some slugs?"

"Who would want to pickle slugs?" Sirius had to ask.

Severus spoke up, "There are some potions that require pickled slugs, Black. I know that you can't do potions to save your life, but I thought that you would have known that."

Sirius glared at him, and was just wondering if he could curse Snape to start spitting up slugs. But when Molly continued, he went back to the story. But Sirius put that idea in the back of his mind to think about it later.

**"****You 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Harry's trunk under the bed right behind the driver, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the steering wheel. "This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This is Neville Longbottom, Ern."**

**Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, nodded to Harry, who nervously flattened his bangs again and sat down on his bed.**

**"****Take'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's.**

**There was another tremendous BANG, and the next moment Harry found himself flat on his bed, thrown backward by the speed of the Knight Bus. Pulling himself up, Harry stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Stan was watching Harry's stunned face with great enjoyment.**

"No matter how old you get," Kingsley said with a smile. "Magic always finds a way to amaze you."

"True that," Arthur nodded in agreement.

**"****This is where we was before you flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?"**

**"****Ar," said Ernie.**

**"****How come the Muggles don't hear the bus?" said Harry.**

"They do," Arthur laughed fondly. "But it goes by so quickly that they think that they're just seeing things."

**"****Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."**

**"****Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."**

**Stan passed Harry's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. Harry was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous. Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. **

"Then why do they let him drive?" Tonks had to ask and everyone just shrugged.

**The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.**

**Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a traveling cloak.**

"I don't blame her," Remus said, remembering how sick he felt when he and Tonks took the kids back to school at the beginning of term. He had silently hoped that he would never have to take that bus again… or at the least make Ernie take some driving lessons.

**"'****Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps. Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut;**

"Oh, that was nice," Molly stopped to say coldly.

**there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way.**

**Harry wouldn't have been able to sleep even if he had been traveling on a bus that didn't keep banging loudly and jumping a hundred miles at a time. His stomach churned as he fell back to wondering what was going to happen to him, and whether the Dursleys had managed to get Aunt Marge off the ceiling yet.**

"I'm sure that the Ministry already took care of it," Sirius said disappointed. "But who cares about her?"

"That's cold," Tonks said conversationally.

"So what?" he argued, "She deserved it."

"Never said otherwise," she replied cheerfully. "I'm just saying that it's cold."

**Stan had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. **

"Sounds like he can't read all that well," Kingsley said observationally.

Remus shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me."

**A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page. He looked strangely familiar.**

Snape leaned forward slightly, though his face didn't show it, he was eager to hear more insults on Black.

**"****That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!"**

**Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.**

**"****Sirius Black," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Neville. Where you been?"**

Remus frowned slightly in a little sadness, and bewilderment at what they just heard. "Molly?" he interrupted. "Did it just say that Sirius looked _strangely familiar_ to him?"

"Yes," she answered, not knowing why he was asking.

"Why do you bother asking?" Sirius replied bitterly. "Don't you remember in the last chapter when Harry saw me on the Muggle news? Of course I would look familiar to him."

"Yes," Remus said softly. "But… you don't think that by any chance that he might not be talking about just seeing you on the news? That Harry just might remember you from before that? I mean, you spent every minute of your free time over at Godric's Hallow and playing with Harry. Do you think that there's a chance that there's a part of him that could've remembered that?"

Sirius blinked in astonishment as he stared at him, before turning to the book. Was that it? Was it possible? He knew that Harry didn't remember _him_; after all, he was only an infant at the time. But was there a slight chance that a part of the boy did recognize him? He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed some of the sympathetic looks that the others were giving him. Finally, Sirius just asked Molly to keep reading.

**He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Harry.**

**"****You oughta read the papers more, Neville."**

**Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:**

**BLACK STILL AT LARGE**

**Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress,**

"The most infamous?" Sirius laughed harshly. "That should knock my dear cousin Bellatrix down a few pegs."

**is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."**

"Yeah, stay calm," Mad-Eye said grouchily. "Just tell the whole world that they have everything under control and that they know what they're doing when in reality they don't have the slightest clue."

"Good to see that the Ministry hasn't changed at all after all these years," Sirius hissed with his hands twitching slightly, longing to go after Fudge.

**Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.**

**"****Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it — who'd believe him if he did?"**

**While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.**

"IT WASN'T ME!" Sirius bellowed so suddenly that everyone jumped in panic as that dead, haunted look in his eyes more clearer than ever before. "Why would I do that? How could anyone actually believe that…?"

He trailed off, unable to finish. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone claiming that he was the one who did all this. He couldn't stand the thought of him taking all the blame for what that rat had done. Wormtail sure made a mess of things… that rat, ruined his life in just 24 hours.

"We know Sirius," Remus said quietly.

"You you didn't," Remus snapped at him with ice in his voice. "If you knew then why didn't you do anything? Why didn't you ever come to see me in prison? YOU JUST LEFT ME THERE TO ROT!"

He didn't mean to say that. He just lost his temper for that brief second, his own past was coming back to haunt him and it was pure torture to him… but then he saw the look on his friend's face. He looked as if Sirius had just slapped him. That guilt-ridden, painful look of complete helplessness was enough for his anger to disappear completely.

"Remus," he said softly. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it… I just lost my temper and…"

Remus shook his head. "No," he said in a tight voice as if he was trying hard not to sob. "I understand. And I don't blame you for being angry with me. You're right, I should've realized that you never would've done all that."

"Why not?" Severus hissed in interruption. "After all, he did try to kill me. I say that he's more than capable of killing Muggles."

Sirius looked at Severus wrathfully. "I told you a million times before. I wasn't _trying_ to kill you. I was just trying to scare you into leaving Remus alone! I thought you were smart enough to have an idea of what was happening to Remus that you would have enough brains not to go."

Severus looked like he was about to pull out his wand and duel in, in fact, Sirius already had already drawn his own wand and looked like he was about to curse him into oblivion until Kingsley and Moody both stepped in.

Moody blasted both their wands out of their hands, which flew high in the air before he caught them, while Kingsley cast two shield charms over the two men.

"We are not going over this again!" Moody shouted out, looking like he wanted to smack them both. "Can't you two grow up for five minutes? My, God, even children can behave themselves better than you two."

"Really, gentlemen," Kingsley said in his calm tone that echoed with weariness and frustration as the two started demanding their wands back. "We have to go through this every time you both are in the same room for too long. Please, enough is enough. Everyone is tired of your childish behavior. We need to focus all of our energy to fighting Voldemort. Not each other."

Remus got up and was able to pull Sirius back down into his seat and muttered words of comfort to him. Severus ignored them all and also took his seat, acting like nothing happened.

Molly was looking at them all with shock and worry, as if she thought that they were going to attack each other again if she turned away. But after a few minutes and neither one said anything, she turned back to the book and started to go on again.

Though while she did, Sirius muttered, "I'm sorry," to Remus who in turn smiled sadly and gripped his arm as if to say, _'I know. Don't worry.'_

**Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. **

"When he puts it like that, I sound like a bloody monster," Sirius said running his hand over his face broodingly.

**Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.**

"I guess you aren't the only one who thinks that you're a monster," Severus smirked.

Sirius glared at him and muttered, "Oh, think it's funny do you? Let's see how good you look after twelve years in Azkaban! Look me up when you get out! I love to see you look even worse than right now… though that will be hard to top."

Severus turned his nose away, unimpressed with his insults.

**"****Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.**

**"****He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"**

Sirius clenched his hands tightly at Harry thinking that he was truly a murderer. And this was before he found out about how he was blamed for betraying his parents. Oh, those chapters were going to be painful.

**"****Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"**

**"****Ar," said Ern darkly.**

**Stan swiveled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Harry.**

**"****Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.**

Sirius's eyes flashed angrily, "I would rather die before I ever support that bastard."

"We know, Sirius," Arthur said gently. "We know now. And I'm sorry for ever suspecting otherwise."

Except for Snape, everyone nodded in agreement. Sirius just turned his head away, not knowing what to think anymore.

**"****What, Voldemort?" said Harry, without thinking.**

"Potter," Moody sighed in frustration and disappointment. "You need to learn to stay in character when you're pretending to be someone else. Yes, indeed, he needs a lot of training."

"He's a kid," Arthur said, "Give him a break."

**Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.**

**"****You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?"**

**"****Sorry," said Harry hastily. "Sorry, I — I forgot —"**

**"****Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast…"**

**"****So — so Black was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Harry prompted apologetically.**

"NO!" Sirius yelled angrily, forgetting that they just talked about this. "I WOULD NEVER! THERE IS NO WAY I'D EVER SUPPORT HIM! HE'S NOT MY MASTER!"

"SIRIUS!" Remus had to shout as he held the man's arm tightly. "We know! We know that it wasn't you! But Harry didn't know that back then! He didn't know what your connection was to him! This is most likely the only time that he heard your name in twelve years! You were the only one who knew the truth, and you were doing everything in your power to correct what should've been corrected! So please, stop yelling at us. We're trying everything we can to capture Wormtail and clear your name."

"And when will that be, Remus?" Sirius barked at him. "A year? Ten? How about 20? It sure sounds like something Dumbledore would do. Keep me locked up here for the rest of my life? Because there's a good chance that I'll be trapped here for the rest of my days, or I'll be dead before my name's cleared!"

"Sirius," Tonks said worried for her cousin's sanity, because he looked like he was close to losing his mind. "We won't let you be locked up here for the rest of your life."

"Yes," came the voice of Molly Weasley, which was what caused Sirius to stop his rant and look up at her in astonishment. She looked at him long and hard before saying, "Once your name is cleared, you're free to take Harry and to leave this horrible house."

He stared at her, along with the rest of the room. "You… you actually WANT me to take Harry."

Her expression was one of misery. "I rather he was with someone who loved him then with those horrible excuses for humans called the Dursleys. They don't deserve someone as kind as Harry to be a part of their family, and if they can't see that then it's their lost. I know that you care for him and would protect him with your life. Sure, I don't think that you're cut out to be a parent just yet. You have a lot to learn about parenthood. But I know that you'll do a much better job than those Dursleys ever will."

Sirius was so stunned, so surprised that it was Molly who said this—that he couldn't say anything to that. Remus just gave her a grateful look and Arthur took her hand. Molly's face showed no expression, but the corners of her mouth was twitching as though fighting a smile.

**"****Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to You-Know-'Oo, they say… anyway, when little 'Arry Potter got the better of You-Know-'Oo" — Harry nervously flattened his bangs down again — "all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern? Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came quiet. But not Sirius Black. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over.**

**"****Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way.**

"Yeah," Tonks nodded in disgust. "Only they got the wrong person."

**'****Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.**

**"****What?" said Harry.**

**"****Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?"**

Sirius rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand. It was just something that he did… he only laughed like that in situations when he suffered something truly terrible. He had laughed that day, because he knew he'd lost everything, and he didn't want to face the pain that came with it… that laugh was there to hid his sobs.

**"****If he weren't when he went to Azkaban, he will be now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow meself up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you… after what he did…"**

**"****They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said 'ad 'appened, Ern?"**

**"****Gas explosion," grunted Ernie.**

**"****An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern?**

"That does sound like something you would've done," Remus said with a rather forced smile. "To be the first to do the impossible I mean."

"I always wondered about that," Kingsley said suddenly. "Why did you wait so long? I know that you were after Peter Pettigrew and he was hiding at Hogwarts. But how did you know where he was? I mean, why did you wait twelve years to break out? Why not sooner?"

Sirius looked at him miserably. "Two reasons. First, I didn't know where Wormtail was," he told the whole room. "I'm sure that you'll find out how _I_ found out where he was later on. And second…" He thought of the cowardly traitor handing Harry over to Voldemort and he shivered. "I found a reason to break out. It was my responsibility, and I knew that I just had to do it before I really did lose my mind."

"Good enough for me," Mad-Eye said giving him a toast with his flask.

"See, Padfoot?" Remus laughed, remembering all the conversations that Sirius and Lily had about his lack of tact. "You are good with words when they count."

He must've been thinking the same thing because he grinned broadly at him.

**Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"**

**Ernie suddenly shivered. "Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."**

**Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Harry leaned against the window of the Knight Bus, feeling worse than ever. He couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time.**

**"'****Ear about that 'Arry Potter? Blew up 'is aunt! We 'ad 'im 'ere on the Knight Bus, di'n't we, Ern? 'E was tryin' to run for it…"**

"I'd rather that than be blamed as a murderer," muttered Sirius sadly. "He's taking this far too seriously."

"He's a teenager," Arthur shrugged. "They always either take things too seriously, or not seriously at all."

**He, Harry, had broken wizard law just like Sirius Black.**

"Yes, because blowing up your aunt like a balloon is no different than killing," Severus scoffed. Really, did think that he was going to be sent to prison for something this simple? A hearing at the most. But prison? He shook his head. Pathetic Potter.

"What he did wasn't his fault though," Sirius stated stubbornly. "That fat cow was asking for it! All he had to do was introduce her to the Ministry and they would've understood and let him off with a warning at most!"

"I wish he really did that," Tonks said wisely. "I would've loved to see them lose their patience and jinx her too."

**Was inflating Aunt Marge bad enough to land him in Azkaban? Harry didn't know anything about the wizard prison, though everyone he'd ever heard speak of it did so in the same fearful tone. **

"That's because it would be living hell, that's why," whispered Sirius shivering as if he was freezing. "Living with Dementors…" he broke off, unable to finish. They all shuddered at the thought of being forced to live with those soul-sucking monsters. All of them silently hoping that they would never have to set foot in that hell on earth…

**Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had spent two months there only last year. Harry wouldn't soon forget the look of terror on Hagrid's face when he had been told where he was going, and Hagrid was one of the bravest people Harry knew.**

"Brave yes," Molly said, her eyes suddenly steely. "But no common sense! What kind of person tries to raise dragons in their house… and—and keep Acromantulas in a forest near a school full of children?!"

"I can't argue with you on that," Severus had to admit with a nod.

**The Knight Bus rolled through the darkness, scattering bushes and wastebaskets, telephone booths and trees, and Harry lay, restless and miserable, on his feather bed. After a while, Stan remembered that Harry had paid for hot chocolate, but poured it all over Harry's pillow when the bus moved abruptly from Anglesea to Aberdeen. One by one, wizards and witches in dressing gowns and slippers descended from the upper floors to leave the bus. They all looked very pleased to go.**

"Like I said," Remus spoke up feeling sick just thinking about it. "I don't blame them in the slightest."

**Finally, Harry was the only passenger left.**

**"****Right then, Neville," said Stan, clapping his hands, "whereabouts in London?"**

**"****Diagon Alley," said Harry.**

**"****Righto," said Stan. "'Old tight, then."**

**BANG.**

**They were thundering along Charing Cross Road. Harry sat up and watched buildings and benches squeezing themselves out of the Knight Bus's way. The sky was getting a little lighter. He would lie low for a couple of hours, go to Gringotts the moment it opened, then set off — where, he didn't know.**

"Oh, stop being so dramatic!" Moody groaned, wishing that something interesting would happen already.

**Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby-looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley.**

**"****Thanks," Harry said to Ern.**

"Yeah," Tonks muttered sarcastically. "Thanks for the horrible ride and the criticism."

"At least Harry's polite," Remus said off-handedly.

"But everyone already knows that he's polite," Tonks said before glancing at Snape and finished by saying, "Well, almost everyone."

**He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto the pavement.**

**"****Well," said Harry. "Bye then!"**

**But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus he was goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.**

**"****There you are, Harry," said a voice.**

"Now who is it!?" Sirius yelled in worry.

**Before Harry could turn, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Stan shouted, "Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere!"**

**Harry looked up at the owner of the hand on his shoulder and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach — he had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.**

"HIM?!" Sirius roared. "Of all the rotten people he could've run into…"

"What is he doing there?" Remus said confused.

"Waiting for Harry of course," Arthur said, sadly.

"Could've been worse," Tonks shrugged. "It could've been Malfoy…"

Sirius thought that over before nodding. "True… I can't argue with that logic."

**Stan leapt onto the pavement beside them.**

**"****What didja call Neville, Minister?" he said excitedly.**

**Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted.**

**"****Neville?" he repeated, frowning. "This is Harry Potter."**

**"****I knew it!" Stan shouted gleefully.**

"Sure you did!" Tonks called out sarcastically. "And I'm Cornish Pixie."

**"****Ern! Ern! Guess 'oo Neville is, Ern! 'E's 'Arry Potter! I can see 'is scar!"**

**"****Yes," said Fudge testily, "well, I'm very glad the Knight Bus picked Harry up, but he and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now…"**

**Fudge increased the pressure on Harry's shoulder, and Harry found himself being steered inside the pub.**

Sirius's eyes narrowed, wondering what on earth Fudge wanted from his godson…

**A stooping figure bearing a lantern appeared through the door behind the bar. It was Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord.**

**"****You've got him, Minister!" said Tom. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"**

**"****Perhaps a pot of tea," said Fudge, who still hadn't let go of Harry.**

"Get your filthy hands off him," Sirius growled threateningly.

"He can't hear you, Sirius," Kingsley told him as Sirius let out another growl of annoyance. Oh, he wanted to curse that man so badly right now that it was like a stomachache. Why were the things that he wanted beyond his gasp? What did he do to deserve this?

**There was a loud scraping and puffing from behind them, and Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage and looking around excitedly.**

**"'****Ow come you di'n't tell us 'oo you are, eh, Neville?" said Stan, beaming at Harry, while Ernie's owlish face peered interestedly over Stan's shoulder.**

"Honestly," Molly snapped irritably like a mousetrap. "You would think that he was nothing but a specimen in a zoo that was on display."

"Unfortunately," Remus muttered to himself, "That's how most people do see Harry as."

**"****And a private parlor, please, Tom," said Fudge pointedly.**

**"Bye," Harry said miserably to Stan and Ern as Tom beckoned Fudge toward the passage that led from the bar.**

**"****Bye, Neville!" called Stan.**

"Did they forget who he was already?" Tonks asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Remus said with a shrug. "Though I think that it was just sarcasm more than anything."

**Fudge marched Harry along the narrow passage after Tom's lantern, and then into a small parlor. Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate, and he bowed himself out of the room.**

**"****Sit down, Harry," said Fudge, indicating a chair by the fire.**

**Harry sat down, feeling goose bumps rising up his arms despite the glow of the fire. Fudge took off his pinstriped cloak and tossed it aside, then hitched up the trousers of his bottle-green suit and sat down opposite Harry.**

**"****I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic."**

"He says that like being the most blundering, useless Minister we've ever had is something to be proud of," muttered Sirius under his breath.

"You think he was talking to a little kid," Tonks said exasperated.

**Harry already knew this, of course; he had seen Fudge once before, but as he had been wearing his father's Invisibility Cloak at the time, Fudge wasn't to know that.**

**Tom the innkeeper reappeared, wearing an apron over his nightshirt and bearing a tray of tea and crumpets. He placed the tray on a table between Fudge and Harry and left the parlor, closing the door behind him.**

**"****Well, Harry," said Fudge, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think… but you're safe, and that's what matters."**

Sirius started laughing. It sounded very hysterical, almost mad. "This is when we start thinking that I'm after Harry." His expression changes so suddenly that it alarmed them all. He suddenly looked the part of the murderer that everyone thought that he was. "When I get my hands on that rat…"

"Sirius, calm down," Remus said soothingly and patiently. "We know that isn't true. We know now that you would never harm your own godson."

Sirius took a few calm breaths and just nodded as Molly quickly went on, but still looked very upset.

**Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate toward Harry.**

**"****Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then… You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. **

"I personally think he would've been happier if she stayed like that," Sirius said bitterly. "I know that I would."

**Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."**

**Fudge smiled at Harry over the rim of his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a favorite nephew. **

Sirius was looking livid again… and to his surprise, so did Remus. But before he could ask what he was angry with, the fuming look passed and he resumed his usual calm expression.

**Harry, who couldn't believe his ears, opened his mouth to speak, couldn't think of anything to say, and closed it again.**

**"****Ah, you're worrying about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?" said Fudge. "Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry, Harry, but they are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."**

"I don't want him back there," Molly hissed, gripping the book so tightly that they thought that she was about to tear it. She wanted nothing more than to over to Privet Drive and give those Dursleys a few words of her own choosing.

**Harry unstuck his throat.**

**"****I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," he said, "and I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive."**

**"****Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, **

"They sure don't act like a family," Tonks snorted as everyone nodded in agreement.

**and I'm sure you are fond of each other — er — very deep down."**

"Why do I doubt it?" Arthur asked with heavy sarcasm.

**It didn't occur to Harry to put Fudge right. He was still waiting to hear what was going to happen to him now.**

**"****So all that remains," said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and…"**

**"****Hang on," blurted Harry. "What about my punishment?"**

Everyone's jaws dropped at those words. "Did Potter just ask for… his punishment?" asked Snape as everyone stared at each other.

"I think he is," Arthur said shocked that a teenager would actually ask for something like that.

Sirius was so shocked that it snapped him out of his miserable mood. "I think James would've rolled in his grave if he ever heard that. Someone should teach Harry if it looks like someone is going to let you off the hook, you shouldn't question it."

"This wasn't what he was suspecting," Moody declared. "Anyone with a brain would see that it didn't make any sense for him to get off without so much as a warning. Of course it sounds suspicious."

**Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"**

**"I broke the law!" Harry said. "The Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!"**

"Harry," Tonks whispered as if she was speaking to a dim toddler, "Shut up. He's letting you go! You shouldn't complain!"

**"****Oh, my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" cried Fudge, waving his crumpet impatiently. "It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!"**

"Not, yet anyway," Sirius snapped, thinking of the many times this past year that the same man who let Harry go so easily, was now the same one looking to discredit and expel him over the littlest things. He was suddenly glad that this all happened before Voldemort's return.

"Besides," Tonks stated, thinking it all over. "Technically, she isn't even Harry's aunt."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Kinsley asked her confused.

"Nothing," she stated. "Just thought I say that."

Remus looked at her strangely, but also fondly at the same time. "Sometimes you make no sense."

She grinned brightly. "But you love me anyway don't you?"

She didn't notice the sudden red that crept up into Remus's cheeks… but Sirius and Molly both saw it and couldn't help but grin at him.

**But this didn't tally at all with Harry's past dealings with the Ministry of Magic.**

**"****Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house!" he told Fudge, frowning. "The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"**

"Seriously Harry, are you trying to talk him into punishing you?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"I think that he's just so used to being punished that it doesn't bother him," Moody said with a shrug which wiped everyone's smiles off.

**Unless Harry's eyes were deceiving him, Fudge was suddenly looking awkward.**

**"****Circumstances change, Harry… We have to take into account… in the present climate… Surely you don't want to be expelled?"**

"Circumstances being that he is Harry Potter," Arthur said lightly.

"And the fact that they think that I'm after him would help," Sirius said sadly.

"So you mean to tell me that he really would've been expelled if he had been anyone else?" Molly said angrily. "That hag Marge deserved it."

"Yes, she did," Arthur nodded. "Not that it matters anymore. But that's just how things happened."

**"Of course I don't," said Harry.**

**"****Well then, what's all the fuss about?" laughed Fudge. "Now, have a crumpet, Harry, while I go and see if Tom's got a room for you."**

**Fudge strode out of the parlor and Harry stared after him. There was something extremely odd going on. Why had Fudge been waiting for him at the Leaky Cauldron, if not to punish him for what he'd done? And now Harry came to think of it, surely it wasn't usual for the Minister of Magic himself to get involved in matters of underage magic?**

"Not bad for a kid," Moody said gruffly. "Thinking like an Auror."

Molly almost whimpered at the thought—and Sirius wasn't sure what to think about it.

**Fudge came back, accompanied by Tom the innkeeper.**

**"****Room eleven's free, Harry," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand… I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London, all right? Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night. Sure you'll understand. Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me."**

**"****Okay," said Harry slowly, "but why?"**

**"****Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no… best we know where you are… I mean…"**

**Fudge cleared his throat loudly and picked up his pinstriped cloak.**

**"****Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know…"**

"Doing what?" Tonks demanded. "He never does anything useful; before or after Voldemort's return."

Sirius let out his bark-like laugh in accord. "Good one, Tonks."

**"****Have you had any luck with Black yet?" Harry asked.**

Sirius smiled smugly. "Nope. Nor will they ever."

"You make it sound like being a criminal is something to be proud of, Black, Severus said silkily.

Sirius just glared at him, wishing that he would just hurry up and leave, before he told him to shut up.

**Fudge's finger slipped on the silver fastenings of his cloak.**

**"****What's that? Oh, you've heard - well, no, not yet, but it's only a matter of time. The Azkaban guards have never yet failed… and they are angrier than I've ever seen them."**

Everyone shivered slightly at the thought of angry Dementors. Sirius especially. No, he was never going near those things again… not if he could help it. He would rather die then set one foot back in Azkaban.

**Fudge shuddered slightly.**

**"****So, I'll say good-bye."**

**He held out his hand and Harry, shaking it, had a sudden idea.**

**"****Er — Minister? Can I ask you something?"**

**"****Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.**

**"****Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission form. D'you think you could —?"**

"He won't sign it," Remus said shaking his head knowingly.

"Of course not," Molly said sadly, "He's not Harry's guardian."

"This isn't fair," Tonks grumbled. "Harry suffered that whole week and what did he get for it?"

"The satisfaction that he blew up someone who treated him like dirt?" Mad-Eye suggested which caused them all a few laughs. Oh, Marge deserved it alright. And they were all wishing that she held onto those memories of what Harry did… it might've taught her a few manners.

**Fudge was looking uncomfortable.**

**"****Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not your parent or guardian —"**

**"But you're the Minister of Magic," said Harry eagerly. "If you gave me permission…"**

**"****No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly.**

"And yet, he'll be breaking his own laws soon enough," Kingsley muttered, hating how low the Ministry had sunk. Voldemort was back and on the move and Fudge might've just done all the work for him. He was keeping everything hidden from the public, paranoid that Dumbledore was after his job, forbidding students at school learning defensive spells, and getting rid of anyone who believes that Voldemort was back. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn that Fudge was a Death Eater himself.

**"****Perhaps you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't… yes… well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Harry."**

**And with a last smile and shake of Harry's hand, Fudge left the room. Tom now moved forward, beaming at Harry.**

**"****If you'll follow me, Mr. Potter," he said, "I've already taken your things up…"**

**Harry followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for him.**

**Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, some highly polished oak furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire and, perched on top of the wardrobe —**

**"Hedwig!" Harry gasped.**

"What?" Severus said in disbelief.

"How did she know he was there?" Molly said astounded.

"That is one smart owl," Moody stated as if that settled the manner.

"She's got brains and beauty…" Tonks cooed.

"To bad that you only have one of those," Mad-Eye said to her, which in turn caused her to shriek at him for a few minutes until he barked at her to be quiet.

**The snowy owl clicked her beak and fluttered down onto Harry's arm.**

**"Very smart owl you've got there," chuckled Tom. "Arrived about five minutes after you did. **

"She must be very close with Harry if she knew where to find him," Arthur smiled.

"Awww," Tonks cooed again, forgetting that she was upset with Moody.

**If there's anything you need, Mr. Potter, don't hesitate to ask."**

**He gave another bow and left.**

**Harry sat on his bed for a long time, absentmindedly stroking Hedwig. The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold. Harry could hardly believe that he'd left Privet Drive only a few hours ago, that he wasn't expelled, and that he was now facing two completely Dursley-free weeks.**

"That is a wonderful thought," Sirius smiled grimly. At least Harry was sure to finally have some fun for the rest of the summer. Anywhere was better than number 4.

**"****It's been a very weird night, Hedwig," he yawned.**

**And without even removing his glasses, he slumped back onto his pillows and fell asleep.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Molly said feeling quite relieved that she didn't have to read anymore and setting the book back on the table.

"Do we want to eat now or read one more chapter?" she asked them as Arthur picked up the book like he was getting ready to read next.

"Let's read one more chapter," Remus told her as he checked his battered watch. "Wow," he called in amazement and disbelief. "I can't believe that it's gotten so late in the afternoon. It only took us one day to read the last book."

"Yeah, well," Arthur explained, "We are taking our time with this book. Last one, we all wanted to read it as fast as possible. We can take our time with this one."

Sirius wasn't too happy at that idea, but before he could say anything, Kingsley sighed. "I think we should read maybe two or three more chapters just for today." He looked at Severus, Tonks, Arthur, and Mad-Eye as he said the next few lines. "We can't stay here all the time or people will start to suspect why we aren't coming to work… or in your case Mad-Eye," he added with a chuckle, "Getting into trouble."

Sirius looked at Remus and saw that he was still looking very pale and weak from his last transformation and was concerned for his friend's health. He was starting to wish that they would finish up for now; he heard as much as he wanted to for today.

"I'll read next," Arthur said as he turned the pages, "And it looks like this chapter is called," he cleared his throat, "**Chapter 4:** **The Leaky Cauldron.**"


	6. The Leaky Cauldron

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 4: The Leaky Cauldron**

"I'll read next," Arthur said as he turned the pages, "And it looks like this chapter is called," he cleared his throat, "**Chapter 4:** **The Leaky Cauldron.**"

And he ended up laughing at the image of a bunch of monster books all sitting in a cage attacking each other with torn pages flying everywhere.

"What now?" Tonks asked curiously as he held the open book open to them all to see the picture.

"More of those monster books?" Kingsley asked with amusement. "I'm guessing that a lot of people will be taking Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid this year?"

"He just had to assign a book that can bite back didn't he?" Remus said amused. Arthur just shrugged and said simply, "He wouldn't be Hagrid if he didn't." He then flipped it around and started reading.

**It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied. **

"Considering how he was treated by the Dursley's, that doesn't surprise me at all," snarled Sirius as he leaned back in his seat, somehow looking older.

Molly sighed unhappily, feeling a familiar pulse of anger as she thought about how someone like Petunia could actually have the gall to call herself a mother.

**He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.**

**Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava.**

"So no one's bothering Harry this time?" Remus asked in mild surprise, remembering how in the last two books when he visited Diagon Ally, he couldn't walk into a store without being swarmed with people.

"Must be because he's smart enough NOT to yell his name out loud," Tonks said with a shrug."I mean, it's not like he went and shouted out _'Hey everyone! I'm Harry Potter!'_"

"Good for him," Sirius nodded. "I think we all know by now…" he shot Severus a fierce look before finishing up, "Harry just wants to be left alone. He hates all his fame and the attention that comes with it."

Severus didn't bother looking at him. Ok, so maybe Potter wasn't the attention seeking, arrogant, big-headed boy who strutted around the castle like he thought him to be. But he wasn't going to admit that to anyone. He was sure that he was going to find something in this book to justify his ill-treatment of the boy.

**After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bin, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.**

**Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ("It's a lunascope, old boy — no more messing around with moon charts, see?")**

"Really?" Remus said leaning in with interest, like a child wanting his mother to buy him a new toy. "That sounds useful as well as fascinating."

Sirius laughed. "That should help you with your transformations, professor Moony. I'll be sure to get one for your next birthday," he promised as Remus blushed in embarrassment.

Mad-Eye raised an eyebrow as he thought about that. _'Interesting clue to the moon…' _he thought to himself as his magical eye fixed itself on Remus. _'And what do you know? They had a werewolf for a teacher that year… ironic…'_

**or else discussing the case of Sirius Black ("Personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban"). **

Severus sighed wistfully thinking of Black back in Azkaban, oh how he longed to have been the one to have him locked away… as far as he was concerned, it was where he belonged. He clenched his fists tightly, as he gave the man a cold glare—after all it was his fault that Lily was dead. If he had just stayed the damn Secret-Keeper, then none of this ever would've happened.

Or maybe… he was just trying to push his own feelings of blame off himself? It gave him some savage pleasure to blame Black for all this—it seemed to push away his own feelings of guilt.

**Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour.**

Tonks groaned in longing. "I want a sundae now," she whined, her mouth watering at the thought.

Remus chuckled at her childishness as he said to Severus, "What do you know? Harry actually does his work?"

Severus gave him a superior look and said, "Heh, only sometimes. And even then, he does a poor job on them."

"How would you know what marks he gets in his other subjects?" Sirius asked coldly. "If memory serves me correctly, you only grade him in one class; and I bet that you don't even mark him fairly."

"I just mark them as he deserves them," Severus said almost snobbishly. Remus shook his head as he gave the others an annoyed look, who were all also looking tired of Snape's stubbornness. Arthur just shrugged in a _'We'll turn him around sooner or later'_ look before deciding on going on.

**Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts, he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once. He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks, to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones (a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point). He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson. **

Severus looked up in surprise. He was trying to get his head around the fact that the boy had such a thing as self-control. Sirius on the other hand was thinking the opposite, "Come on Harry! Buy what you want! You should spoil yourself for a change!"

**But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.**

"Of course it would have to be in that shop," Molly shook her head with an unsurprised look. "Boys…"

"Hey, there are some things that little boys can never grow out of," Sirius grinned, having a sneaking suspicion of what it was that Harry wanted so badly.

**Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.**

Sirius grinned even wider. He knew that Harry would've loved that broom, and it made him even happier to hear that his godson wanted it so badly even long before his old one was destroyed.

**"****Just come out — prototype —" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.**

**"****It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm.**

**"****Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favorites for the World Cup!"**

**A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:**

**** THE FIREBOLT ****

Sirius clapped his hands together happily, "Oh, yeah!"

Remus and Tonks had to laugh at his enthusiasm as Molly rolled her eyes. There were some things in this world that she couldn't understand… Quidditch and boys obsession with it were at the top of her list.

**THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.**

"I would've loved that," Tonks said looking longingly once again. "I'm still stuck with a Comet Two Sixty."

"'Price on Request'?" Kingsley asked, though he already knew the answer.

"It means that it costs many, many Galleons," Arthur said knowingly, and with a slightly sad sigh.

Tonks thought about this for a second before she looked at Sirius, turning her eyes into big puppy-dog brown and whimpered, "Sirius, my birthday is coming up soon and I am your cousin…"

Sirius laughed, "Well I suppose I owe you twelve years worth of presents as well… we'll just have to wait and see about that."

She grinned broadly at Sirius as Remus looked a little upset that he couldn't buy her something that nice and expensive. He suddenly looked up in amazement. Where did those thoughts come from? He felt the need to slap himself awake just as Arthur finished talking to Kingsley and turned back to the book.

**Price on request… Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost. He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life — **

"I knew that he would've loved it," Sirius beamed proudly. He had been looking for the perfect present, and he couldn't think of anything better than the Firebolt. But his cheerfulness was starting to slip away again the more he thought about it.

He looked back down at the worn carpet. Though he was glad that he was at least able to give Harry something truly special… he longed to have been able to do it for those twelve years. He felt a stab of anger in the pit of his stomach to think that James and Lily weren't able to watch their only son grow up while pigs like the Dursleys were the ones who did and didn't even care…

No, not the two most caring and wonderful people in the world… but the most arrogant, selfish, self-absorbed, cruel, and heartless Muggles to have ever lived got the honor of something like that. And for what? Harry could've been dead in a gutter somewhere, and they couldn't care less.

Just one more thing to add to that ever growing list of: _Things to curse the Dursleys for_.

**but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already? Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt.**

"Well, I don't see the harm in that," Remus nodded offhandedly. "I mean, he's just looking at it."

"He shouldn't worry," Sirius grinned again. "He's going to be getting one soon."

**There were, however, things that Harry needed to buy. He went to the Apothecary to replenish his store of potions ingredients, and as his school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg, he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones. **

"They grow up so fast," Molly sighed as several others had to agree a little melancholy.

**Most important of all, he had to buy his new schoolbooks, which would include those for his two new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.**

**Harry got a surprise as he looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.**

"Which were made for nice, quiet bedtime reading with your kids," said Sirius sarcastically.

"I'm sure that the manager loves it," laughed Remus running a hand through his graying hair with humor. "I remember when he once ordered a couple hundred books of _The Invisible Book of Invisibility. _And he never found them."

"He was furious," Sirius nodded with his bark of a laugh as he remembered being in Diagon Ally and asking about those books right before his sixth year. "He said he sent the people who scammed him with those _'books'_," he made air quotations with his fingers at the word books, "Some cursed Howlers that were so loud that it made their ears shrivel up once they were done shouting at you."

As they all laughed at that, they all temporary forgot that they were in the middle of a war, and were almost convinced that things were aright with the world… that is, until Arthur had to continue reading.

**Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures.** **Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet.**

"Please tell me that Hagrid learnt by now that his pets are what land Harry, Ron, and Hermione in trouble in the first place," asked Molly asked the room, almost pleadingly.

Kingsley gave her a gentle look before telling her honestly, "I highly doubt it. But Hagrid never means any harm…"

"You think he would get a hint after all these years," Mad-Eye muttered in a bored voice. "But at least, he keeps life interesting."

**As Harry entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward him.**

**"****Hogwarts?" he said abruptly. "Come to get your new books?"**

**"****Yes," said Harry, "I need —"**

**"****Get out of the way," said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage.**

"Well, that was rude of him," Tonks spoke up. "I mean, if you want customers to keep coming back then you think that he would be a little more polite.

"He must've expected Harry to tell him that he needed one of those monster books," Arthur pointed out. "He was probably just determined to get it over with. They can bite your hands off if you aren't careful."

**"****Hang on," said Harry quickly, "I've already got one of those."**

**"****Have you?" A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. **

"Yes," Kingsley said calmly. "And if you waited for him to talk, then you would've known that."

**"Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning —"**

**A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart.**

**"****Stop it! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility — cost a fortune, and we never found them… **

They all roared with laughter at that.

"I'm guessing that he's still upset about that," Sirius snorted, tears of mirth in his eyes.

**Well… is there anything else I can help you with?"**

**"****Yes," said Harry, looking down his booklist, "I need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky."**

"I forgot that he's doing Divination," Sirius muttered thoughtfully. "Funny, I got the impression that he hated that class."

"He does," Remus nodded knowingly. He remembered hearing how Sybill kept predicting the boy's death, and he would think that it would be annoying after awhile.

**"****Ah, starting Divination, are you?" said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling. A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul.**

**"****Here you are," said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black-bound book. "Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods — palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails."**

**But Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens — What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming.**

**"****Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you," said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. "You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death."**

**But Harry continued to stare at the front cover of the book; it showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar…**

Snape smirked at Sirius. He loved the fact that Black's dog form looked just like the symbol of death—not something that was consider impressive or good.

Remus thought about the description of the dog and what Sirius looked like when he transformed. He never gave it much thought, but he then realized that Padfoot really did look like the Grim. As much as Remus hated to admit it to himself, Trelawney was right. Harry was being stalked by the Grim that year. Bu he smiled and thought, _'But the Grim wasn't there to hurt him.'_

Sirius must've also been thinking that because he transformed suddenly, causing them all to jump in surprise to see that he was gone, only to be replaced by the Grim-like dog. An enormous coal-black hound, and yet, Sirius's own eyes: filled with his intelligence and his sympathy were looking at them all. He barked a few times before transforming back and asked, "Do I really look like that?"

"Down to the last detail," Tonks smiled.

Sirius gave her a grimace, he wasn't too happy of looking like something that was considered evil, but Kingsley then said, "But the Grim was also considered a protector. I've heard that you couldn't ask for a better guard than the that black dog."

Sirius thought that over for a second before grinning happily. "I like that idea."

"Me too," Tonks said thinking that over. "Hey, Sirius? There's this jerk Auror trainee who gives me a hard time. You think that you can appear in front of him like that and give him a scare?"

Sirius grinned again. "That would be awesome."

**The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry's hands.**

**"Anything else?" he said. **

**"****Yes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. "Er — I need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three."**

**Harry emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with his new books under his arms and made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people.**

"What's wrong with him now?" Mad-Eye said a little exasperated.

**He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed. Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley. He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin.**

**"****It can't have been a death omen," he told his reflection defiantly. "I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent… It was probably just a stray dog…"**

Sirius frowned. He didn't want to scare Harry like this. He just wanted to see James' son—why was this happening?

**He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat**

**"****You're fighting a losing battle there, dear," said his mirror in a wheezy voice.**

Sirius chuckled. "Even a mirror knows it's useless to mess with your hair, Harry."

**As the days slipped by, Harry started looking wherever he went for a sign of Ron or Hermione. Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt; he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. Harry didn't stop to chat;**

"Why not? I thought he liked Neville?" Molly said confused.

"He does, but he was probably with his grandmother at the time and…" Arthur started but Moody interrupted.

"Oh, then he should get out of there while he has the chance," he said nodding. "No need to say any more, that woman can be a handful."

"And that's a lot coming from you, Mad-Eye," Sirius joked as he nudged Tonks with his foot teasingly. "After dealing with this one all this time."

Tonks playfully punched Sirius in the arm before telling Arthur to hurry up and read before she killed her cousin.

**Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother. Harry hoped she never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic.**

**Harry woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that he would at least meet Ron and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express. He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where he'd have lunch, when someone yelled his name and he turned.**

**"****Harry! HARRY!"**

"And here they are!" Tonks called out happily. "The Golden Trio finally reunites!"

**They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor — Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him.**

"Very good descriptions," Remus chuckled, remembering when he first saw them on the train ride.

**"****Finally!" said Ron, grinning at Harry as he sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and —"**

**"****I got all my school stuff last week," Harry explained. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?"**

**"****Dad," said Ron simply.**

**Mr. Weasley, who worked at the Ministry of Magic, would of course have heard the whole story of what had happened to Aunt Marge.**

"That I did," Arthur chuckled. "You should've seen the looks on the boy's faces when I told them about it. They couldn't stop laughing." He looked over at his wife and said to her, "I remember that you weren't too happy."

She pressed her lips. "Well, that was before I knew how horrible she was," she said sternly. "Now that I know, I don't blame him one bit. I probably would've done the same thing if I was in his position."

**"****Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.**

"Oh, don't yell at him. I'm sure that he'll get enough of that when he sees his aunt and uncle again," Sirius groaned, rage pumping through him like venom.

**"****I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just — lost control."**

**"****It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."**

"It was still brilliant," Sirius muttered stubbornly. "She deserved it."

"No one's disagreeing with you on that, Padfoot," Remus told him.

**"****So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"**

**"****Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that.** **I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. **

"I would've killed him," Molly said heatedly, and Arthur laughed as he read the next line.

**Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. **

"He knows you well, doesn't he?" Kingsley chortled as Molly turned red.

**Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!"**

**Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things."**

**"****Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"**

**"****Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. **

"It's good that he has his own wand," Kingsley said. "He'll probably find spells just a little easier now."

"Better than his old one anyway," Mad-Eye muttered. "Though I think that he should've hung onto that broken wand in case some other idiot tries to use a Memory Charm."

Arthur smiled, glad that he could do that much for his youngest son. At least until Snape spoke up with a sneer. "Not that it does any difference. His Potions haven't improved at all."

"Just because someone isn't very good at Potions, doesn't mean that they don't possess an ounce of magical talent!" Molly hissed as the others gave him dirty looks. Arthur looked menacingly, as if daring him to make just one more insult about his son.

"Besides," Tonks snapped at him, "I thought you said _'There is little foolish wand-__waving here'_. So why are you even comparing this with his potion making? I bet you that he could make any potion you tell him if you weren't breathing down his neck every class period."

"Oh yeah?" Severus challenged them with his eyes glinting ominously.

"Everyone!" Kingsley interrupted them all before this turned into a full scale war. "Enough. We're here to read, not pick fights with each other, and Severus? Let's not forget that you don't have your wand?"

Severus was looking mutinous as Mad-Eye pulled out his wand that he took last chapter. "That's right," Mad-Eye said as if he was talking to a toddler who misbehaved. "And you won't get it back until you learn to behave."

Sirius grinned as Severus was red in the face and leaned back in his seat.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you, Black," Mad-Eye barked as also he pulled out Sirius's wand. "You won't get yours back until you learn to behave as well."

It was now Sirius's turn to flush as Kingsley, politely asked Arthur to go on. Arthur glared at Severus for a few more seconds before he continued faster than before.

**And we've got all our books —" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."**

"I bet he did," said Remus with a smile. "Trying to get just one of those books would be like trying to pick up some rabid animals."

"What's he complaining about, he's got rid of two more of them!" cried Sirius. "He should be thanking them! Why didn't he put them all in separate cages? I think that it would've been a lot less painful!"

"You mean to tell me that you actually had a good idea for once, Black?" Severus stated silkily.

"More than you ever had, I'm sure," Sirius snapped back, and Severus redden again.

**"****What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.**

**"****Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies —"**

"Why on earth would she be taking Muggle Studies?" Tonks cried out. "She's Muggle-born! She grew up with Muggles! I'm sure that she's the last person who needs to be taking that class!"

"But that has to be one of the best classess!" Arthur cried out happily, dreamily thinking to all he learned about Muggles when he was still going.

"It is a pretty good class," Sirius muttered with an evil grin how his mother reacted when he told her that he was taking the one class that she told him not to.

"Yes," Remus agreed, "And you actually worked the hardest out of everyone else in that class."

His grin stretched even wider. "I had to! It almost gave my dear old mother heart failure when she heard! Oh, I loved writing home and telling her all that I learned in that class, and then getting all the Howlers back saying that I was a disgrace to the family name and that she would disown me if I kept going on about it."

He continued to dream about happier times and he distantly heard Arthur say,

**"****What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"**

"It's a fascinating class though!" Arthur cried out, unable to stop himself.

"**But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.**

**"****Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry, while Ron sniggered. Hermione ignored them.**

**"****I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."**

**"****How about a nice book?" said Ron innocently.**

Molly looked a little disapprovingly.

"What?" Sirius asked, noticing her look. "That does sound like something she would want."

"It's called tact, Sirius," she told him off. "You should learn how to get some."

**"****No, I don't think so," said Hermione composedly. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol —"**

"Oh," Sirius grinned. "So this must be where she gets Crookshanks. But tell me, how did she go from getting an owl, to a cat?"

"Let him keep reading and I'm sure that we'll find out!" Mad-Eye yelled at him

**"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."**

"Rather, I don't think Padfoot agreed with him," Remus whispered into Sirius's ears, who was once again looking like he wanted to rip the book apart.

**Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers.**

Sirius's eyes burned, and he gritted his teeth, trying to hold back his anger at the rat. If only he knew where the rat was right now… if only he could get his hands around Wormtails throat.

**"****There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl."**

**So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.**

**There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited, examining the cages.**

**A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.**

Severus rolled his eyes. He had to remind himself why he was here. Why on earth did he have to listen to every little detail to every single part of Potter's pathetic sad life? He wished that they would hurry up and move on so that he could go back to the castle and have some time to himself.

**The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.**

**"****It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."**

"I bet he would," Sirius growled with a kind of vindictive pleasure of the rat in terror. Everyone, excluding Remus, looked at him with brief confusion for a few seconds.

**"****Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.**

"Or better yet, smash his skull," Sirius hissed under his breath again.

**Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.**

**Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.**

**"****Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"**

**"****Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."**

**"****What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.**

**"****Er —" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. **

"I wish," Remus whispered as Sirius looked like he was biting back a scream of rage.

**The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.**

**"****He's been through the mill, this one," she said.**

**"****He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.**

"Poor Scabbers," Molly said, remembering how much Percy and Ron loved that old rat.

Remus thought that a few blood-vessels were going to pop in Sirius's face when he heard those two words. He then whispered to him, "You think we should tell them who Scabbers really was?"

"No," Sirius hissed back. "They kept the information of Harry going into the Chamber to save Ginny hidden from us until we read about it ourselves; it's only fair that we keep this hidden unless we have to."

**"****An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these —"**

**She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."**

**"****Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.**

**"****Okay," said Ron. "How much — OUCH!"**

"What?!" Molly called in worry as she tried to read over Arthur's shoulder. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he said, looking a little worried himself as he went on even quicker.

**Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.**

"What's that? A tiger?" Severus asked vaguely interested.

**"****NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, **

"Oh, it's just Crookshanks," Sirius laughed, remembering how the cat attacked him in the same manner when he first met it wandering the Hogwarts grounds.

**but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.**

**"****Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.**

**It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. **

"Where he belongs," Sirius growled, his mood swings starting to drive everyone crazy.

**Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.**

**"****What was that?"**

**"****It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.**

Severus blinked before frowning, hating that he and Potter just thought alike for that second. He just pretended that he didn't hear that last line.

**"****Where's Hermione?"**

**"****Probably getting her owl."**

**They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.**

Sirius just had to snort at that. "Of course she would buy the one thing in that shop that attacked Ron."

"Strange," Mad-Eye stated thoughtfully.

"What is?" Kingsley asked him. "Doesn't sound all that strange to me. She bought the one animal in that shop that attacked Ron."

"Not that. I was just thinking… was there not a whole cage full of delicious rats on the counter next to the Weasley pet?" Mad-Eye asked. "Why did the cat pick him?" he thought about it for a few seconds before shrugging it off and saying, "Guess he was the easy meal, though a bit boring if you're the kind that likes to play with your food."

Sirius chuckled darkly, enjoying the idea of Wormtail being eaten.

**"****You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.**

**"****He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.**

**That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry. The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall.**

Sirius smiled as they thought of that cat. "Yes, that is the perfect description."

"I personally think that he's gorgeous," Tonks said a little stubbornly.

**Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms.**

**"****Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.**

**"****He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.**

"Oh, I think he did," Tonks spoke up with a few giggles.

**"****And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"**

"He needs to be throttled," growled Sirius under his breath, so that only Remus heard him. Remus sighed, wishing that he figured things out sooner.

**"****That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."**

"Well, if he had a tendency to attack the customers, it doesn't come as much of a surprise to me," Sirius pointed out.

"Come on, Sirius," Remus laughed as he clapped him on the shoulder. "You know you love Crookshanks almost as much as Hermione does."

**"****Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.**

**They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet.**

**"****Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"**

**"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with their shopping.**

**Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.**

"Haven't they got anything better to print?" snapped Sirius hotly, really this was getting boring.

"Of course they don't, it's the_ Daily Prophet_," Mad-Eye barked forcefully. "They'll print whatever sells. And it doesn't get much better than an infamous, mass murderer out and on the hunt again."

"Good point," he had to nod.

**"****They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.**

**"****No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."**

**"****Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money —"**

**"****Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. **

"Harry's far too observant," Arthur stated, shaking his head.

"It just proves that he pays attention," Tonks offered obviously.

**"Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, you mark my words."**

Sirius and Remus couldn't help but laugh at those words as Kingsley smiled. "Funny that three teenage wizards could find out the truth about you, Sirius, than the whole Ministry put together."

"I think that they should get new help," Mad-Eye agreed. "People at the Ministry these days… pathetic. Nothing like in the old days. Back then, they actually did a half-decent job!"

**At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys' youngest child and only girl, Ginny.**

**Ginny, who had always been very taken with Harry, seemed even more heartily embarrassed than usual when she saw him, perhaps because he had saved her life during their previous year at Hogwarts. **

"Not to mention almost got yourself killed in the process, Harry James," Sirius said suddenly angry again.

"I'm sure that he wasn't planning on dying," Kingsley said soothingly. "Anyway, it all worked out for the best didn't it?"

"He's lucky it did," Sirius growled under his breath. He wanted to have Harry here right now so he could tell him off for being so stupid and reckless… after he held him in a tight hug and apologized for just walking out on his life again…

**She went very red and muttered "hello" without looking at him.**

"Well, at least she spoke in front of him, that's an improvement," Remus said reasonably. "Though I'm sure that him saving her only made her fall even harder for him."

"That is too cute," Tonks and Molly cooed.

**Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."**

Severus groaned. Listening to Percy Weasley that year, was one of the most annoying things that ever happened as a teacher. Molly sighed miserably as she looked at Arthur's hardened face as their third child's name was mentioned.

**"****Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.**

**"****I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands. It was rather like being introduced to the mayor.**

'_Great, he's even more pompous than before,'_ Sirius thought to himself with another eye roll. Just when he thought that he couldn't get anymore full of himself.

**"****Very well, thanks —"**

**"****Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy —"**

**"****Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."**

"Brilliant," Tonks and Sirius said applauding as everyone else grinned. Besides for Severus who just grunted in annoyance, wishing that he was back in his dungeon.

'_Yes,'_ Remus privately agreed. _'Now, if only Percy learned to loosen up a bit, he might realize that life isn't always about rules and rewards.'_ He looked up at Sirius when those thoughts crossed his mind.

**Percy scowled.**

**"****That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.**

**"****Mum!" said Fred, as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand, too. "How really corking to see you —"**

Most snickered, while Molly frowned slightly.

**"****I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. "Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" she said, swelling with pride.**

**"****And last," Fred muttered under his breath.**

**"****I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."**

"You do know that only one of them could've been made prefect?" Remus asked her. "It's only one boy and girl from every House, every year?"

She shrugged. "I forgot about that. I was exhausted from everything that happened and I wasn't in the mood to hear them joke around."

"I doubt that they would've taken their job seriously anyway," Tonks said good-naturedly. "They would never have been happy doing prefect duties."

"No," Arthur had to agree. "I think that it all worked out for the best that neither one got a badge."

Molly was looking a little put out that Arthur thought this way, but she didn't say anything—truth be told, she had no choice but to silently agree. Now if only they would start taking their studies carefully…

**"****What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."**

"I couldn't agree more," Sirius said wisely.

**Ginny giggled.**

**"****You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.**

"Oh it's much too late for that," Tonks chortled, thinking how the girl was secretly becoming a trouble-maker and learning many things from Gred and Forge about rule-breaking.

"What do you mean by that?" Molly asked with raise eyebrows.

"Oh, nothing," she assured her.

**"****Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily. "I'm going up to change for dinner…"**

**He disappeared and George heaved a sigh.**

**"****We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us."**

"What did they think they were doing?" Molly said loudly, and crossly. "Could've done him a serious injury! That was hardly what I call a joke!"

"I'm sure that they never would've really locked him in a pyramid," Arthur guaranteed her. "I think they only wanted to make it look like they were going to."

"Well it still wasn't funny!"

**Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.**

**"****How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.**

**"****The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.**

**Everyone looked up at him.**

**"****Why?" said Percy curiously.**

"Because Harry's there," Sirius answered bitterly. He hated these reminders that everyone believed that he was after his godson. And the fact that they were mentioned every page, wasn't helping him at all.

Arthur suddenly realized what was sure to be in this chapter and he glanced worriedly at Molly, who was looking at him a little confused. Arthur just sighed as he went on; remembering that Molly wasn't aware of who it was who overheard them that night.

**"****It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them—"**

**"— ****for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.**

**Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.**

And everyone but Molly snorted at that.

**"****Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.**

**"****Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favor…"**

**His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Wesley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under pressure.**

"He is very observant," Kingsley established. "I never noticed that."

Severus just looked up at the ceiling; listening to more proof of Potter being favored… even if he didn't want or realize it…

He then inwardly groaned realizing what he had just thought. He needed to get out of story time before he had any more of these thoughts.

**"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground… You are all packed, aren't you?"**

**"****Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."**

Most of them looked outraged at this and Sirius had to cry out, "What happened to the new _Head Boy_? He's just told on his little brother! I can see this happening the other way around… but come on. I thought that he was supposed to be the _mature_ one."

"He's probably drawing attention to the fact that he thinks that he's better than Ron because he's packed," scowled Tonks as the two parents in the room shook their heads in disappointment, wondering just where they went wrong.

**"****You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. Ron scowled at Percy.**

"I don't blame you, Ron," Sirius called out loudly, as if he thought that Ron was in the next room.

"You're talking to a book!" Mad-Eye shouted at him. "You're really trying my patience!"

**After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry.**

"How did Ron get stuck with the new _Head Boy_?" Sirius asked the Weasleys sarcastically. "Just what did he do to deserve that?"

"Well the twins were already sharing a room," Molly told him. "And obviously he couldn't share with Ginny… besides, it was for only one night."

"Why didn't he just share with Harry then?" Kingsley asked coolly. "I'm sure that Harry wouldn't have minded."

"Didn't think about that," Arthur stated. "But like Molly said, it was just the one night."

**He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on.**

**The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.**

**"****It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing —"**

**"****I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.**

**"****What's up?" said Harry.**

**"****My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry.**

"Don't blame Harry that you can't find your badge! It's not his fault!" Sirius said annoyed. "Why is he just assuming that it was Ron who did it?"

"I bet you all anything that it was Fred and George," Tonks nodded.

**"****So's Scabbers's Rat Tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar —"**

**"****You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.**

"It's your badge!" Tonks said. "Why would you want to polish it anyway? I mean it's not like it's going to be getting dirty handing off your robes."

**"****I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron, and he went downstairs.**

**Harry was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlor. A second later, he recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys'. **

"Oh, Harry, you don't want to listen to them fighting to," groaned Sirius, having a bad feeling of what they were talking about. "Go back upstairs."

**He hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing, when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlor door.**

"Harry," Molly moaned in exasperation. She should've known that he was at the door.

"Of course he would listen in on a private conversation," Severus sneered.

"Well they were talking about him," Tonks pointed out. "What would you have done if you knew that someone was talking about you?"

Sirius bit his lip as he wished that he couldn't hear anymore… here it comes.

**"… ****makes no sense not to tell him," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly. "Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and —"**

**"****Arthur, the truth would terrify him!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!"**

"That a mad mass murderer is possibly after him?" Sirius asked angrily, rounding on the two Weasleys. "Even if I was after him—which I wasn't—he should've know. I mean, what right do any of you have to decide things for him!"

Everyone stared at Sirius and no one was dumb enough to talk to him right now, because he was looking like he was about to blow-up any second.

"The same argument once again," Mad-Eye said as he leaned back and yawned in an unconcerned way. "I don't see why everyone is so determine to treat Potter like a little kid and keeping him out of the loop about something that involves him that I think he needs to know. If he knows these things, then maybe he would understand why he needs to be protected."

Molly blushed hotly.

"I'm not trying to be cruel, Molly," Mad-Eye continued. "I'm just saying that you shouldn't treat Potter like that. He's been through a lot in his life and doesn't need to babied. He doesn't scare easily."

"Well, in my defense," she said coldly, making an obvious effort to keep her voice calm, "I was just thinking about Harry's happiness. I worry constantly for his safety and I was concerned that if he found out, it would terrify him. I don't want him getting hurt."

"None of us do, Molly," Sirius said with no emotion in his voice.

"Then you should be able to understand," she told him. "He's parents were killed, he fought a Basilisk, lived years of abuse and suffering, and most recently he's seen a classmate murdered. He's been through so many terrible things in his short life and Voldemort is the reason for it all. Given the opportunity, I know that he would gladly hunt him down. If he knew all that was happening, he'd leave right now. I don't like it any more that you do, trust me, but that's the way it is."

"That just proves that he's got guts," Sirius snapped back.

"It proves that he's young and reckless," she cut him off. "He's been through enough. I just don't want to cause him anymore pain then necessary."

Both of them seemed to be lost for words. Everyone was staring from her to Sirius and back, obviously not knowing what to say to prevent anymore shouting. The minutes stretched on… and when it appeared that neither one was going to say anything, Arthur gulped and bravely went on…

**"****I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. "You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves — they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! **

"Well, Harry has, Ron's only been there once," said Tonks conversationally, with worried glances at the two who still haven't turned their furious glares from each other.

**But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."**

"Well then, you'd lose some money, mate, if you did," snapped Sirius finally turning to stare angrily at Arthur. Sirius couldn't help but shudder at that thought, not that he ever would have killed his own godson, he just didn't like the image of him… he gulped… being the one who would've done it.

Remus looked at him sadly as he griped his arm tightly again.

"I can see why this caught his attention," Kingsley said slowly, as he kept his wand ready, in case Sirius finally snapped and attacked someone.

**"****But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point —"**

**"****Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after —"**

**"****But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."**

"I know he will be, because I was never after him!" snarled Sirius.

"And besides that, Hogwarts wouldn't be able to protect Harry even if Sirius was after him," Remus said, and noticing Sirius's outraged look he quickly added, "Which we know that you weren't."

"And why is that?" Tonks asked looking at him brightly, and Remus felt himself blush slightly.

"We know all the secret passages in the castle and all the ones that lead into the castle from Hogsmeade," Sirius replied proudly. "The Marauders spent all seven years looking for them."

"You found them all?" Arthur asked impressed.

Sirius smiled, thought it looked more like a grimace. "You be amazed what you can do with seven years of free time."

**"****We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."**

**"****But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry —"**

"Tell me," Sirius muttered darkly. "Just what made you all sure that I was after Harry, even if I was a psycho murderer who betrayed his best friends?"

"I'm sure that they will explain it to you," Kingsley told him.

"Yeah, well," Sirius continued, "It's all nothing but Bullsh…"

"We know, Sirius," Arthur cut him off before he could finish swearing. "Please, don't bite our heads off! But you have to remember that this was two years ago, and no one knew that you were innocent back then."

He just grunted in frustration but let it drop for the moment.

**There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.**

**"****Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'He's at Hogwarts… he's at Hogwarts.'**

"Which, now that I think about it," Kingsley said sadly, "Could've meant anyone."

"Yes," Mad-Eye stated, thinking it all over. "They couldn't have been sure whether a half-asleep Black actually wanted to kill Potter, bring him to Voldemort, drop in for a spot of tea, or if it was Potter that he was after all along."

"To bad that no one thought about all that right _after_ I broke out," Sirius mumbled. "Well, at least this explains why they thought I was after him."

'_Even though it meant that I was after Peter!'_ he thought to himself fuming.

**Black is deranged, **

Severus had to smirk; he could not argue with that.

**Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power.**

"I have to agree that Sirius is deranged, but he even if he was a Death Eater, he would never believe that about Voldemort," Remus scoffed.

"HEY! I am not deranged!" Sirius retorted, though he couldn't keep out the hint of amusement in his voice.

Remus smiled back, though knowing that this slight cheer won't last long.

**Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that…"**

'_Well, they're half right,'_ Sirius thought, his face falling back into depressing. He lost everything that night… but not in the way that everyone believed.

**There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more.**

"Oh, I forgot Harry was there," said Sirius sadly putting his face back in his hands. "What must he think of me now?"

"Sirius," Arthur said resignedly.

"Just keep reading," he cut him off dully.

**"****Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's Headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?"**

**"****Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."**

"Dementors are going to be a Hogwarts…" Tonks said paling.

"Yes, and they affect Harry worse than most," Remus told her sadly, knowing all the pain and suffering that Harry had in his life only made the Dementors drawn to him like a moth to a bright flame.

**"****Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?"**

"I didn't know that they were going to be bringing the Dementors," she said defensively as they looked at her as if worried for her common sense. "They have human guarding the prison as well as those horrors. I thought that they were going to be bringing in the human guards."

"Fair enough," Kingsley said.

**"****Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Nor am I, if it comes to that… but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."**

**"If they save Harry —"**

Remus snorted. They didn't save Harry. They almost destroyed him that night. Dementors were the only thing that endangered anyone that year.

"He doesn't need to be saved from me," Sirius suddenly growled.

"We know that now, Black," Severus snapped, getting tired of all these interruptions. "But people knew nothing of your _supposed_ innocence. Not shut up for once in your life."

Arthur quickly starting reading again before anyone could kill anyone else.

**"– ****then I will never say another word against them," said Mr. Weasley wearily. "It's late, Molly, we'd better go up…"**

**Harry heard chairs move. As quietly as he could, he hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight. The parlor door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs.**

**The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier. Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle.**

**Fred and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.**

"Knew it," Tonks said, though she was nowhere near as eager as before.

**"****We've got it," Fred whispered to Harry. "We've been improving it."**

**The badge now read Bighead Boy.**

"This is annoying," Mad-Eye said as most of the others were laughing. (Molly and Severus were sitting there with impatience.)

"What is it this time?" Tonks asked getting tired.

"Haven't you noticed it as well?" he barked at her. "All the size-related running bits are growing so frequent, that there is no way it could just be coincidence. All the size related, moon, and the finger running bits. Are happening every chapter… why is that?"

Remus and Sirius both looked at each other—neither one was looking forward to the chapter where Peter would escape. Tonks on the other hand stated, "I'm sure that you're just thinking about it too much."

"Maybe you should start thinking about it more!" he said grumpily. He knew that there was some kind of connection… well he was sure that he would find it before this damn book was over.

**Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed.**

**So Sirius Black was after him.**

"No, I'm not!" roared Sirius frustrated.

"Sirius, will you please calm down!" said Kingsley wearily.

"No," Sirius sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "I don't want him to think that," he finished miserably.

The others exchanged worried glances as Remus tried to comfort him. But old Padfoot didn't seem to be able to hear him.

"Harry's going to hate me now," Sirius said weakly, sounding close to sobbing now as he leaned his head back and turned his head as if he was looking at the ceiling—though his eyes were still tightly shut.

"I'm sorry," Remus told sadly; he knew just how angry Harry had been when he heard all those lies about Sirius… and he also knew how much that was surely going to hurt his friend. "But you have to understand that everything Harry thinks and feels about you is what he had been told from others. He didn't know the truth."

"And think about it," Arthur noted in a soothing tone. "He doesn't hate you now does he? He really cares about you now that he knows what happened."

Sirius looked back with a tiny smile playing on his mouth. That was true, and the biggest proof that he never did the crimes he was convicted of. He received a few more sympathetic smiles, except for Severus who was looking sick, and the story went on.

**This explained everything. Fudge had been lenient with him because he was so relieved to find him alive. He'd made Harry promise to stay in Diagon Alley where there were plenty of wizards to keep an eye on him. And he was sending two Ministry cars to take them all to the station tomorrow, so that the Weasleys could look after Harry until he was on the train.**

"Harry's quite clever putting it all together like that," said Remus, smiling.

"To bad he doesn't use it in class," Severus said, impressed against his will, that the boy was able to figure this all out so quickly.

**Harry lay listening to the muffled shouting next door and wondered why he didn't feel more scared. Sirius Black had murdered thirteen people with one curse; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley obviously thought Harry would be panic-stricken if he knew the truth. **

"No, he's taking it rather well, considering," said Mad-Eye attentively.

"Well, any other normal child would be," said Molly, in a rather angry voice.

"But he's faced Voldemort!" said Sirius lifelessly. "Even if I was a Death Eater, he wouldn't be as freaked out as having to deal with me because he showed up my boss several times."

**But Harry happened to agree wholeheartedly with Mrs. Weasley that the safest place on earth was wherever Albus Dumbledore happened to be. Didn't people always say that Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of? Surely Black, as Voldemort's right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him?**

**And then there were these Azkaban guards everyone kept talking about. They seemed to scare most people senseless, and if they were stationed all around the school, Black's chances of getting inside seemed very remote.**

Sirius shook his head, disagreeing, "Not likely, kiddo. I know every single passage into that school."

**No, all in all, the thing that bothered Harry most was the fact that his chances of visiting Hogsmeade now looked like zero. Nobody would want Harry to leave the safety of the castle until Black was caught; in fact, Harry suspected his every move would be carefully watched until the danger had passed.**

"I'm sorry, Harry," Sirius whispered, feeling guilty once again.

**He scowled at the dark ceiling. Did they think he couldn't look after himself? He'd escaped Lord Voldemort three times; he wasn't completely useless…**

"It's not that Harry," Molly frowned. "We just didn't want to take any chances of you getting hurt."

"And at the time," Severus pointed out, "Those last two encounters were unexpected and unforeseen. They couldn't have been avoided. If Black was really after Potter, then they at least have this information beforehand, so they could have at least made an effort to prevent it. Not that it helped with Potter…"

"There's only a few more lines," Arthur almost begged. "Please. Let me finish."

**Unbidden, the image of the beast in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent crossed his mind. What to do when you know the worst is coming…**

**"I'm not going to be murdered," Harry said out loud.**

**"****That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.**

"And that's the end of the chapter," Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, I can't tell you just how worn-out I am. I don't know what it is with this book, but I feel like I've just read at least a dozen chapters already."

"Maybe it's because no one can go two lines without interrupting," Mad-Eye offered as he groaned in aggravation. "But I personally bet it's because SOME PEOPLE," he rounded on Sirius and Severus at those words and finished, "Don't know when to grow up."

"Yeah, guys," Tonks muttered unenthusiastically. "I think we're all tired of listening to you guys fight."

So the two men did the mature thing and said at the same time, "Well, he started it!"

"Enough," Remus moaned wearily. And Sirius noticed again, just how frail-looking his friend was. He didn't think that Remus could take much more for today and they should stop as soon as possible. He said, "Ok, ok. You win. Look… how about we all read one more chapter and then call it a day?"

It showed just how tired everyone was, because no one disagreed.

Remus took the book and said that he really wanted to read this one. He turned the page and started off, "**Chapter 5: The Dementor**."


	7. The Dementor

**(I own nothing. Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling)**

**Chapter 5: The Dementor**

Remus took the book and said that he really wanted to read this one. He turned the page and started off, "**Chapter 5: The Dementor**."

"Oh, no," Tonks groaned. She was not looking forward to this.

"What?" Molly cried out nervously. "What would a Dementor be doing near the students already? They aren't even at school yet!"

"Terrific," Sirius scowled. He had a feeling that this chapter wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. "It's their first encounter with one of those soul-suckers. But why is it happening now? I thought that they wouldn't be forced to meet one until they reach the castle gates."

"We'll find out," said Remus darkly, knowing full well what this was about as he glanced at Severus, who was looking unconcerned.

**Tom woke Harry the next morning with his usual toothless grin and a cup of tea. Harry got dressed and was just persuading a disgruntled Hedwig to get back into her cage when Ron banged his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable.**

**"****The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy…"**

Tonks laughed as Sirius sniggered at the thought.

"Why is it never Percy's fault for any of these things?" asked Kingsley himself.

"You think that the boy would learn to take some responsibility for his own faults," Mad-Eye said. "As fallible as Dumbledore is, he at least owns up to his mistakes."

"Because Percy thinks he could do no wrong," Sirius muttered under his breath, hoping that Molly and Arthur couldn't hear him. Apparently they didn't because they just continued to stare sadly at the book, as if hoping that it would start to speak words of comfort to them.

**"I've got something to tell you," Harry began, but they were interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.**

**They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly.**

Tonks and the boys all looked at shocked at Molly, who was quickly turning red.

"Really?" Sirius had to ask with a smirk. "Who was your target?"

Molly face was now the same color as her red hair. "I made it to give it to a girl in Slytherin when she cursed one of my brothers when his back was turned, so… I made her fall in love with Ogg, the gamekeeper before Hagrid. It wasn't a strong potion, so it only lasted for about an hour. But it was long enough for her to humiliated herself by the time that it wore off," Molly said, with a rather self-satisfied smile. "She followed him all across the grounds for that hour and swooning over everything he said."

They all roared with laughter as they thought about that girl who was enchanted to chase after the old gamekeeper; even Severus had to fight hard to conceal a sneer.

"OK," Sirius gasped out, holding onto his ribs. "I'm never going to underestimate you again. Oh, I wish that we thought of that," he turned to Remus. "That is classic!"

Molly had to start laughing as well—and for a long time, they couldn't stop. Finally, Remus, looking younger than he had been in ages, took a deep breath and felt ready to go on.

**"****What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down.**

**"****Later," Harry muttered as Percy stormed in.**

"Never a moment's peace with the Weasleys," Mad-Eye stated with one of his twisted grins.

"That's just natural when you have such a large family," Arthur said, still smiling.

"Especially when we have to rush to get on the train," Molly agreed, but she suddenly remembered the lonely house waiting for her at home… she pushed that aside, not wanting to remember that right now.

**Harry had no chance to speak to Ron or Hermione in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.**

**"****It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."**

**"****You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"**

"Let that cat out on the train," Sirius grumbled under his breath but no one noticed. He liked the idea of anything that caused Wormtail fear or worry.

**He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.**

**Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.**

**"****They're here," he said. "Harry, come on."**

**Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.**

**"****In you get, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.**

Sirius scowled slightly at that and crossed his arms over his chest in fear of hitting something, or someone, in his irritation. "So you're playing bodyguard for Harry?" he asked Arthur bitterly. "What did you think was going to happen? I was going to pop out of from a car or baby carriage and try to kill everyone in sight?! Even I'm not crazy enough to do something like that in the middle of a crowded street."

"Ah, Sirius," Tonks asked uncharacteristically timid, "Didn't you confront Peter in the middle of a crowded street?"

"Yeah, well," Sirius responded sullenly. "What would you have done if you suddenly lost everything in those 24 hours?"

"Actually, I think that you just might be stupid enough to do that," Severus stated with a sneer. "You never had a lot of brain cells to begin with and all our years at school must've destroyed all the ones that you did have."

Sirius bared his teeth at him as if he wanted nothing more than to transform and sink his canine teeth into this oily git. Even without his wand, he was still dangerous. Remus must've realized this because he started reading in a loud voice to draw their attention away from each other.

**Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.**

"I don't blame you, Ron," Sirius said as Tonks nodded in agreement. Molly gave them both a quick, dark look—but she couldn't say anything to contradict them.

**The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary. though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare;**

"That had to be the earliest we ever arrived," Molly said suddenly, thinking how every year her whole family had always arrived at the station so late—it seemed like a miracle that they always made it onto the train… well not always. She thought about that flying car…

**the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.**

**Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station.**

**"****Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."**

"That was discreet," muttered Kingsley lightly.

"There was no need to do so though," muttered Sirius through gritted teeth.

"We know, Sirius, there's no need to keep harping on us about it!" said Remus crossly, finally starting to lose his patience.

"Sorry," he muttered back fiercely. "I just can't stand it listening to this."

"We know, but it's annoying listening to you whine on about it so much, as well…" Tonks said, though her tone was more sympathetic than accusing. "Besides, we're only going to be doing the rest of this chapter for today, so it should be over soon."

He only nodded glumly, hoping that he could last the rest of the chapter.

**Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.**

**In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.**

**Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.**

**"****Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter** **as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.**

"Yeah," Tonks said shaking her head with heavy sarcasm. "If I was Penelope, I would be wanting to hear every single detail on why he thinks that's the most impressive thing since sliced bread."

"He needs to get over himself," Moody barked annoyed. "So he was Head Boy? Big deal. When he finds the cure for Dragonpox, _then_ I'll be impressed."

**Once the remaining Weasleys and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.**

**Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, and finally Harry. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug.**

"Awww, he's such a sweet thing," Molly cooed, remembering with sadness how he most likely was never given a hug once in those ten years. Her distaste for the Dursley grew even fiercer.

**"****Do take care, won't you Harry?" she said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron… no, they're not corned beef… Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear…"**

**"****Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."**

"So you really were going to give him a head's up of what's going on?" Remus said asked Arthur, looking up from the pages.

He nodded grimly. "I didn't know that he overheard us the night before. I just wanted to help keep him on his guard. You know as well as I do what he's like… he was bound to have been even more reckless if he didn't think anyone was after him."

Molly was looking a little upset at that, but she didn't say anything.

"No," Moody said nodding. "It's good of you to do that. If you think that someone's hunting you, I think it's a good thing to be told. You'll keep your guard up more. No matter how young they are, they should be told the truth so they keep their guard up all the time."

"Especially Harry, who seems to get into his fair share of trouble," Tonks said with a lopsided smile. "And he doesn't even try! I hate to see what would happen if he went out of his way to get into danger."

"Good… point…" Molly said grudgingly, shuddering at that thought.

**He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.**

**"****There's something I've got to tell you before you leave —" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.**

**"****It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."**

**"****You know? How could you know?"**

"They easiest way," Sirius said simply, "By listening."

**"****I — er — I heard you and Mrs. Wesley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Harry added quickly. **

"_You couldn't help overhearing_," Snape repeated incredulously, shaking his head. "Please, Potter's only talents seem to be overhearing things that are of no concern to him and sneaking around."

No one bothered to tell him off; simply preferring to pretend that he wasn't there. Though they all did give him a harsh look before turning back to the book.

**"Sorry —"**

"Well, at least he's apologizing," Remus pointed out to Severus, who just rolled his eyes not even giving him an answer.

**"****That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious..**

**"****No — honestly it's okay. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."**

**"****Harry, you must be scared — "**

**"****I'm not," said Harry sincerely.**

"I think that's because he didn't grow up hearing how bad Sirius Black supposing was," Molly said before looking at Sirius's angry look.

"I know!" she said quickly. "I know that you aren't bad NOW, but I didn't back then!"

He just crossed his arms again and didn't say anything; hoping that they would finish up so that he could go back to his room and suck.

**"Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"**

**Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.**

They were all proud to see that their Arthur no longer flinched when that name came up. Arthur was looking equally smug about it.

**"****Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but —"**

**"****Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"**

**"****He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word —"**

**" — ****that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.**

This time it was Sirius's turn to flinch, hating that he was the one causing all this trouble for Harry when in reality everything he did that year was to try and protect him.

**"****Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. "Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black."**

**Harry stared, "What!"**

"He had no idea then?" Sirius had to ask. Harry made it quite clear that night in the Shrieking Shack that he knew the story about how he was thought to have betrayed his parents. But from what this said, he didn't know about it before he went to school? Then how did he find out? Who was the one who told him?

"You know," Arthur said quietly. "I did wonder who it was who finally told Harry about you. It wasn't me… I knew that I probably should've told him… but…"

Molly put her hand on his shoulder, "You just didn't want to upset him." She then looked to Remus and say, "Did you tell him, Remus? If it wasn't us or Fudge…?"

Remus shook his head. "I didn't say anything to him about this. I never even told him that I was friends with James until he asked me."

He then thought about that. It was during their very first Patronus lesson and he remembered Harry's words that night… _"Professor Lupin? If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well."_

He didn't give it much thought at the time, but how did Harry know that if he didn't tell him? It had to have been someone who knew them well and thought that Harry was ready for this?

"Do you think that it was Dumbledore?" Kingsley asked, bringing Remus out of his thoughts.

Sirius actually snorted. "Oh, I doubt that. He doesn't want Harry to know anything about what's been going on now. So I can only imagine how secretive he must've been with Harry two years ago."

"But then who was it?" Tonks asked frustrated. "If he didn't know when he got onto the train…"

"Well, he definitely knew that night that I finally met him face to face," Sirius said rubbing his hand over his eye where Harry had punched him that night. You never would've thought it from someone who looked so scrawny, but that boy certainly had an arm.

"Yes," Remus said, remembering how Harry reacted whenever he heard Sirius's name before the holidays that year. He could see the worry, and anxiety in his eyes, but never anything like hatred or anger.

But then he suddenly remembered how after the holidays, whenever Sirius was mentioned, the boy's eyes shown with a deep hatred and betrayal. "If I had to guess, I would wager that he somehow found out at least by Christmas that year."

Sirius groaned. "That's going to be a Merry Christmas alright."

"But what makes you so sure?" Kingsley asked him interested.

He shrugged. "Just thinking how Harry would act whenever he heard Sirius's name. It wasn't until after those holidays did he really starts to show anger."

Sirius was looking very pale. He shared a nervous look with Remus who gave him a kind smile and felt that it was best to just forget about it for now and to keep going.

**There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.**

**"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens —"**

**"****Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Harry blankly.**

"After everything you went through for your first two years of Hogwarts?" Molly asked as if she thought that Harry was in the room. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did!"

"Don't know why everyone's so worried," Tonks brushed aside. "You think that he hasn't done crazier things."

"Well, it's not like he needs another reason to go out and risk his life," Molly snapped at her.

**"****Swear to me that whatever you might hear —"**

Arthur nodded wisely. He had a bad feeling that Harry would no doubt hear the whole story sooner or later. Those feelings that something bad was about to happen, must've come from raising Fred and George.

**"****Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.**

**Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.**

"But he didn't promise," observed Tonks as she looked at Arthur. "He never had a chance to…"

"I don't think that it would've mattered," Mad-Eye said shrugging. "The boy may be sickeningly honest, but I think even he has his limits."

"You say that like being honest is a bad thing," Molly scolded him. "I think that it's one of his best qualities."

**"****I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed.**

**"****Go away, Ginny," said Ron.**

"Oh, that was friendly," Molly frowned at her son. "He could be more polite to his sister!"

"What do you expect with teenage boys?" Tonks shook her head.

**"****Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.**

**This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. Harry, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.**

**The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.**

Sirius suddenly broke into a wide grin as he looked over at Remus who was looking at the description with surprise.

"Wonder who that would be?" he asked giving him his widest smile, that Remus returned.

"Probably just the Defense Against the Dark Arts class newest victim," he answered.

**"****Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.**

**"****Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.**

Sirius had to laugh as he clamped his friend on the back. "So you finally come into the book. About time, Professor Moony!"

"But how did she know your name?" Tonks asked beaming at Remus, which caused his stomach to start doing flips.

**"How'd you know that?"**

**"****It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.**

"Oh," Tonks nodded slightly embarrassed, "That's how."

"Doesn't sound like things have been going well for you mate," Sirius said, his grin fading, as he looked at him guilty. "I keep forgetting just how hard it must've been for you after all these years."

Remus just shrugged; he never thought that he would have made much given his condition. Though he did admit that it was hard to go through life alone after that night.

**"****Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.**

**"That's obvious," whispered Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."**

"It always was your best subject," Sirius let out another bark-like laugh. "But you _had_ to become the one thing that we always struggled to give a hard time to. A teacher? Tsk, tsk, Professor Moony."

Remus chuckled. That was the thing about Sirius… whenever he was in a good mood, it was hard not to laugh along with him… if he was moody and depressed—well, that it was impossible to be happy with a depressed Sirius Black around.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed.**

"It is jinxed; how else do you explain that there hasn't been a teacher who'd been able to stay longer than a year for over two decades?" Remus said. "Especially after what happened to their last two? I guess I was lucky that I decided to resign."

"That still took some real guts to take that job for as long as you did," Kingsley stated.

**"****Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?**

"Nah," Sirius said in defense of his friend. "Professor Moony'll awesome! Can't wait to see your first class."

Remus smiled slightly, really looking forward to that as well.

"I don't like the way you sound," Tonks said worried, turning to look at him. "You don't sound so healthy, Remus."

"That's because it was a day after the full moon," he explained tiredly, looking just as weary as he did that day on the train.

"Ah," they all said, nodding in understanding.

**Anyway…" he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?"**

**Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry… you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble, Harry…"**

**"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."**

Snape snorted. "I wouldn't say he's innocent," he said coldly.

"No one said he is when it comes to trouble," Arthur said with a slight nod of the head. "I admit, he does have a natural curiosity. He doesn't have to investigate all the things that happen around him. But it's not like he's going out of his way to pull pranks."

"He's just trying to survive," Mad-Eye stated as his eye began to spin around the room. "Constant vigilance! How many times must I say it?!"

"At least once more," Tonks joked.

**"****How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.**

"I'm not a nutter, and I don't want to kill him!" Sirius huffed, glaring at the book and getting angry again; longing to grab it right out of Remus's hands and tear it in half.

"Ah, I don't know about that," Remus teased with a ghost of a grin back on his face, "I would never say that you would actually kill a kid. But I do think that's the most accurate portrayal of your character I've heard all book."

And Sirius stuck his tongue out childishly; though the shadow of a smile played on his mouth.

**They were taking the news worse than Harry had expected. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than he was.**

"What did he expect?" Kingsley had to ask.

"Yeah?" Tonks said confused. "Did he expect them to just nod their heads once and say, _'Oh, that's nice.'_ And then change the subject? We're dealing with someone who broke out of Azkaban and they thought that he was after him! I would've been terrified if that happened to me at thirteen."

"Well, now he's got two madmen after him," Moody said shaking his head.

"Oi!" Sirius called turning to them.

"What? Only someone who is out of his mind would pull off the impossible like you," Mad-Eye said knowingly.

Sirius stuck his nose up at him and said, "When you put it like that, then yes, I'm proud to say that I'm mad."

"All the best people are just a little bit mad," Arthur laughed with them. "I mean… look at _Mad_-Eye."

The ex-Auror just let out an exasperated sigh. "I loved to see you in my position, Weasley. Go out and hunt down some Death Eaters and we'll see who's mad."

**"****No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."**

**"****But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too…"**

**"****What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.**

**A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked all around the compartment.**

**"****It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.**

**"****Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.**

"Right," Kingsley said wonderingly. "I forgot all about that."

"I wonder why it's going off though," Molly asked with raised eyebrows. "I know that it's a really cheap one but…"

Sirius looked at Remus who was looking a little embarrassed before he started to laugh again.

"What is it now?" Arthur asked him, lost to what was so funny.

"You were awake weren't you Moony?" Sirius asked him smiling and nudging him with his elbow. "You were listening in on them."

"In my defense," he said holding up a hand to silence him. "I _was_ asleep. After a full moon I usually sleep for most of the next day. But as soon as I heard that Sneakoscope going off, yes, I did wake up but I was too tired to open my eyes."

"Remus," Molly scolded. "You were eavesdropping? That's not like you."

Remus looked sheepishly at her. "I didn't mean to. I was just too exhausted to actually get up and talk to them. I didn't pay any attention until I heard Harry's name."

"And you just had to listen in?" Severus asked, not in the least bit surprised that the wolf would do that. Once a trouble-maker, always a trouble-maker.

He shrugged again. "I hadn't seen Harry since he was a year old," he explained. "What would you have done in my place?"

No one could think of anything to say to that as they all looked at each other sadly. Remus, growing tired of the awkward silence turned the page to continue.

**"****Yeah… mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."**

**"****Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.**

**"****No! Well… I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys… but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"**

**"****Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."**

"Too late, he was already awake. Are you being untrustworthy, Professor Moony?" Sirius said grinning at his friend.

He grinned, half ashamed. "Are you going to call me that for the rest of the book?" he had to ask.

"I wasn't planning on it," Sirius said thinking it over. "But now that you mention it… why not?"

Remus shook his head. He just had to ask… not that it bothered him. He personally loved that his old nickname was being used again.

**He nodded toward Professor Lupin. Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.**

**"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down.**

"Why did he have to mention that? He should have known that those Muggles would never've sign Harry's form," Tonks groaned.

"I guess that he was so excited about going that he didn't think about it," Arthur said, his eyes turning colder. "But there's also a chance that he thought that they would've done that much for their own nephew."

"Well, thought wrong didn't he?" Sirius barked, suddenly turning back to being grumpy.

**"****They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."**

**"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain —"**

**"****Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"**

**"****What's that?" said Hermione.**

"How can she not know what Honeydukes is?" Sirius cried out incredibly. "It's only the best sweetshop there is!"

"I don't think it's written in any of her books," Mad-Eye said conversationally, which earned a few more chuckles.

**"****It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything… Pepper Imps — they make you smoke at the mouth — and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next–"**

**"****But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain —"**

Sirius let out a low snort, whilst Remus gave him a glare, clearly saying, _'Shut up!'_ Severus glared at them both with malice, while some of the others looked at them in confusion.

"We missing something?" Molly asked as she looked at them all.

"Nothing, Molly," Remus assured her as Sirius said at the same time, "Yeah, it's _very haunted_."

Remus just gave him another glare as he looked back to where he left off.

**"– ****and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.**

"Yeah, Ron, just rub it in," muttered Sirius angrily.

"He didn't know that Harry wasn't allowed to go," said Molly sternly, not liking how he was talking about her sons.

"I know," he said holding up his hands in exasperation. "But I can still be annoyed with the idea!"

**Hermione looked around at Harry.**

**"****Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"**

"It will," Arthur nodded, feeling so badly for the boy and wishing that he could've signed it for him.

**"'****Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."**

**"****What d'you mean?" said Ron.**

**"****I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."**

Instead of wasting his breath on useless threats, Sirius clenched his fists tightly together, imagining they were actually curling around the throats of those Dursley's one by one. It was just a permission form! All that Dursley had to do was sign his name! Couldn't he have enough kindness to take five seconds out of his day and sign the piece of paper and let his only nephew go out and have some fun? Of course not… anything that made Harry happy was considered a sin in Vernon Dursley's eyes.

Sirius could feel a growl threatening to escape. Before these books arrived, he was sure that he wanted Wormtail dead the most… but after reading all this; he wasn't sure anymore who he wanted to go after first; Peter or the Dursleys.

He sat there for a few minutes, trying to decide which would give him the most satisfaction of killing first while the other one could be spared to live for a few more days trembling in fear of him when he heard Remus again.

**Ron looked horrified.** **"You're not allowed to come? But — no way — McGonagall or someone will give you permission —"**

They all laughed, but there wasn't any real humor in it.

"Yeah, right, McGonagall make an exception in the rules…" muttered Sirius sourly, remembering all the times that she had actually caught him and James. "That's never gonna happen."

"If I recall correctly," Severus muttered through tight lips, "She did make an exception to let Potter on the team in his first year."

Sirius thought about that for a second before he started to cheer up slightly. "You're right! Guess she does have her moments."

**Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, was very strict.**

**"– ****or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle —"**

**"****Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose —"**

**"****Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.**

**"****But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare —"**

**"****Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"**

"Oh, I don't know," Sirius laughed at the thought of going after those three. "I be afraid of the three of them if I knew all the things that they went through together."

**She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke.**

**"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.**

"Get 'em, Crookshanks!" Sirius cheered, getting some confused looks at him again; obviously wondering why he was cheering for the cat. Remus sighed wearily, feeling more tired by the second and feeling a longing to sleep.

**"****Get out of it!"**

**"****Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.**

**Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.**

"Were you going to say anything?" Kingsley asked him.

"I was trying hard to keep himself from laughing," Remus answered with a chuckle. "Those two reminded me of how Lily and James used to argue."

Sirius had to laugh at that. So he wasn't the only one who noticed that.

**The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.**

Sirius was still silently urging for that cat to hurry up and eat that blasted rat.

**At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.**

**"****D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."**

"Yeah, Remus," Molly agreed as she gave him a fierce glare, determine to feed him every chance she got. "Honestly, you're nothing but bones. How you were able to survive with such little food for all these years, I'll never know."

Remus gave her a gracious smile. "I appreciate your concern, Molly. But such is the life of a werewolf. Food can be hard to come by."

"Well, I'm making sure that you get enough from here on out," she told him stubbornly.

**Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.**

**"****Er — Professor?" she said. "Excuse me — Professor?"**

**He didn't move.**

**"****Don't worry, dear," said the witch, as she handed a large stack of cauldron cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."**

**"****I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean — he hasn't died, has he?"**

"It would be an easy mistake to make," Sirius chortled as Remus was reduced to actually throwing a pillow at him to get him to be quiet.

"Oww!" he said in mock hurt with a hand over his heart, "Such an act of violence I never thought of you before." He looked to Tonks before asking him, "Aren't you afraid that there are certain people in this room who might take that the wrong way?"

He grinned again at the flushed look on his old friend's face.

"What's he mean by that, Remus?" Tonks asked brightly as he suddenly turned to her and seemed to have forgotten how to speak for a moment.

"Oh, I'm sure that it's nothing that needs to be discussed now," Molly said with a meaningful look at Remus who had his face buried in the book again. "Please go on."

Remus was only too happy to do so. (While making a mental note to murder Sirius sometime tonight.)

**"****No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Harry passed her.**

**He might not be very good company,**

"That's not true!" Tonks called out, looking a little surprised at that.

"Tonks, if they thought that I was asleep, of course I wasn't going to be very good company," Remus said, not having the guts to look at her in the face this time.

"Well, I think you're great company," she told him dazzlingly.

"Yeah, if you're a book," Sirius said smiling. He then leaned in and whispered for Moony's sensitive hearing alone, "Or Tonks."

Remus gave him a dirty look that plainly said, _'Remind me to kill you later.'_

**but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses. Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps outside in the corridor again, and their three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.**

**Draco Malfoy and Harry had been enemies ever since they had met on their very first journey to Hogwarts. Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in Slytherin house; he played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, **

"Poorly I might add," Arthur smirked as he thought of all that gold Lucius had to bribe with to make sure his son would get on the team and for what? He can't even play right! From what he heard, Slytherin hadn't one a single game since he joined. Oh, he loved to rub that in Lucius's face every chance he got.

**the same position that Harry played on the Gryffindor team. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist to do Malfoy's bidding. They were both wide and muscley; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla arms.**

"Along with the gorilla brain to match," muttered Sirius. Severus gave him a filthy look, though he hated whenever Black insulted his House… he had to admit that Crabbe and Goyle weren't at all intelligent either.

**"****Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel."**

"How very creative," Kingsley muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah," Sirius groaned. "He needs to get some new material. Really, this is just pathetic."

**Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.**

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if they had some troll blood in them," Mad-Eye said thinking about Crabbe and Goyle senor and how close to trolls they looked.

**"****I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"**

**Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort.**

"Aww, you keeping them out of trouble, Professor Moony's?" Tonks teased.

"Not you too," he half groaned at her.

"I think that you should've just stop pretending to sleep told off Malfoy," Sirius said with a dreamy look in his eyes. "He deserved it."

"As a teacher I'm afraid that I couldn't do that unless he was doing anything wrong," Remus replied. "Technically, he wasn't doing anything wrong at the time. Though I do wish that I kept a closer eye on him at school."

**"****Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.**

**"****New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"**

**Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.**

**"****C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.**

**Harry and Ron sat down again, Ron massaging his knuckles.**

**"****I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and —"**

**Ron made a violent gesture in midair.**

"Oh, I hope he shows him up good," Arthur whispered under his breath. He would've loved it if his son got Lucius's son back for all the pain that he caused his family the year before this."

**"****Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful…"**

**But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep.**

"Like you were going to tell them off," Severus hissed to Remus.

"Well, technically," he told him lightly, "Term didn't start yet, so they weren't doing anything wrong."

"Yeah, use your logic there, Professor Moony," Sirius cheered.

"One of us had to," Remus chortled as Arthur laughed at Sirius mock outrage.

**The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.**

**"****We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.**

**The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.**

"Oh, no," Molly moaned as the laughter in the room died almost instantly. "Can't anything ever be easy for them?"

"Apparently not," Mad-Eye said as he folded his hands on this staff and looked over the wand that he took from Severus and Sirius.

**"****Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast…"**

"Ron," Molly said mothering, "You're always hungry."

**"****We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.**

**"****So why're we stopping?"**

**The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.**

**Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.**

**The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.**

"Dementor?" Tonks gasped remembering the chapter title, and going pale.

"Oh Merlin," Sirius whispered, covering his eyes with a hand and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. If the Dementors did anything to one of the students, it would've been all his fault. He couldn't live with himself if that happened.

"God, that's awful! Searching a train full of children! What the hell were they playing at?" Molly shrieked as she rounded on Severus as if it was his fault. "What were they thinking? Why did they let those… those… monsters float around on the train?!"

"Don't look at me," Severus said with his eyebrows raised. "I can assure you that I didn't have anything to do with it. I wasn't even aware that the Dementors were on the train until right before the students arrived."

Molly still looked furious but she let it go as she rounded on Remus, silently begging him to continue which he obliged.

**"****What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.**

**"****Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"**

**Harry felt his way back to his seat.**

**"D'you think we've broken down?"**

**"****Dunno…"**

**There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.**

**"****There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard…"**

"Not people," Sirius mumbled with a small shudder as he remembered how those things continued to haunt his nightmares.

**The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs.**

"Who…?" Tonks began just as Remus read.

**"****Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry —"**

**"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.**

**"****Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"**

**"****No idea! Sit down —"**

**There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.**

"Under a different situation where only the lights went out and there weren't any Dementors," Tonks said, cocking her head. "This would've been funny."

**"****I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.**

"I really don't think they should be wandering around in the dark," Molly said as she griped Arthur's hand, terrified of what was going to happen.

**"****Who's that?"**

**"****Who's that?"**

**"****Ginny?"**

**"****Hermione?"**

**"****What are you doing?"**

**"****I was looking for Ron —"**

"Yeah sure," Sirius teased, some of his own feelings of dread and fear disappearing. "More like seeking the comfort of the guy of her dreams. I bet she was looking for her big strong hero to keep her safe."

"Sirius," Molly scolded, but a small smile was playing around the edges of her mouth.

**"****Come in and sit down —"**

**"****Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"**

"Bet that was on purpose," Sirius muttered to no one in particular.

"I don't think so," Tonks laughed. "I mean, she couldn't see anything in the dark; I'm sure that it was an accident. But I bet for her, it was a bonus."

**"****Ouch!" said Neville.**

**"****Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.**

**Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last.**

"Yeah, Professor Moony's awake," Sirius and Tonks cheered (Tonks was even clapping) as the man blushed.

"Took you long enough to wake up, professor," Kingsley added politely.

**Harry could hear movements in his corner.**

**None of them spoke.**

**There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames.**

"Oh that is so cool," Sirius groaned in envy. He turned to his friend and asked, "When did you learn that?"

"You'd be amazed at what you can learn with twelve years of free time," he answered simply.

**They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.**

**"****Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.**

"So, Professor Moony lights a flame and goes for the door?" Tonks smiled at him. "Hmmm… you seem awfully alert for a sleepy head."

"You'd be amazed," Sirius confided in her. "It was impossible to get him out of bed at school. But once he finally is, he's alert and ready to go!"

"Padfoot," Remus said as Tonks giggled. "Please, can we talk about this later?"

Sirius shrugged. "Just speaking the truth pal."

**But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.**

**Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water…**

Sirius felt his insides freeze as he thought back to being forced to see those very same hands every single day for since he was forced into Azkaban. Memories that he wished that he could forget.

**But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.**

**And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.**

"Does he have to think so graphically?" Sirius said shivering horribly as if there was truly a Dementor in the room and he actually had to look over his shoulder to make sure that it was just his imagination.

**An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart…**

**Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder…**

"What's happening to him?" Molly asked quickly, close to panicking. Arthur rubbed the back of her hand gently, though his expression too was concerned and strained.

**And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. **

"Screams?" Tonks repeated, looking unusually tense as she glanced up, hoping that someone could tell her what was happening. "Who is it?"

**He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't… a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him —**

**"****Harry! Harry! Are you all right?"**

**Someone was slapping his face.**

"He fainted?" Mad-Eye said in mild interest. "Well, I can't say that I blame him. If I were him, I would've done the same. Good thing that he didn't repeat that last summer or he would've been…"

"Shut up," Sirius snapped at him, wishing that he would stop talking about what might've happened to his godson if he did faint again last summer and was left at the mercy of the Dementors. He pushed that aside, he didn't need any more nightmares.

**"W-what?"**

**Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking — the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to him, and above them he could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face.**

**Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat.**

**"****Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.**

**"****Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that — that thing? Who screamed?"**

"Yeah," Tonks asked, very white. "Who was it?"

**"****No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still.**

**Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.**

**"But I heard screaming —"**

"But if no one screamed…" Tonks began as Kingsley interrupted, "No one did scream in the compartment. The screaming that he heard came from his memories. Though I do wonder what that was from…"

Remus shifted uncomfortably as he looked to Sirius, who was now looking very green. He knew that Padfoot suspected what it was, and he could see in his eyes that he hoping that he was wrong. Remus gave him a comforting look as he turned back to the book, wishing that it would end quickly.

**A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.**

"Typical Moony," Sirius tried to joke, though he still looked green. "When you have just suffered something traumatic, go for a piece of chocolate."

"Did you have to do that now, Professor Moony?" Tonks asked him.

"Chocolates helps with the Dementors," Remus answered as if it was obvious.

"And you had it with you the whole time?" Arthur asked him with his forehead wrinkling. "Did you know they were coming on the train?"

"I doubt that," Sirius reasoned in a slight teasing tone. "Moony loves chocolate. I would eat my boot if Remus didn't carry a chocolate bar everywhere he went."

"You never know when you might need it," he told him a little harsher than he intended as he grew redder by the second.

**"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."**

**Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it.**

**"****What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.**

**"****A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."**

**Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.**

**"****Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…"**

**He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor.**

"Well, that was a cheery hello," said Mad-Eye sarcastically to Remus who just sighed, frowning. He wanted to disappear into his room so that he could finally catch up on some sleep… and to kill Padfoot…

**"****Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously.**

**"****I don't get it… what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.**

**"****Well — that thing — the Dementor — stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) — and you — you —"**

**"****I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching —"**

Sirius shifted guilty in his seat; knowing that the only reason that happened because of him.

**"****And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away…"**

"You thought I did what they said I did?" Sirius said turning towards his friend, almost angry again.

Remus didn't want to answer as his eyes closed and his hand pinching the bridge of his nose tightly.

"I can't believe that you would think I'd ever do that?" Sirius said ruthlessly.

"The evidence had been compelling," Remus said bitterly; ashamed that he could ever believe that his friend could ever actually serve Voldemort. After all, he had been one of the people who worked the hardest against him during the first war.

"I would never…" Sirius started his fury growing.

"Sirius you have to understand that things were really bad back then," Kingsley said in his calmest tone, leaning forward in case the man started attacking someone.

"Things are _still_ bad!" he yelled back.

"Yes," agreed Mad-Eye. "But things were even worse back then. We all knew that there was a spy close to the Potters, and after everything was said and done, all the evidence _seemed _to be pointing at you."

"I don't care about the evidence," Sirius said still glaring at Remus who was looking quite pale at to moment. "You should've known."

"It was on a full moon," he tried to explain in a strained voice. "By the time that I knew what was going on you were already in Azkaban. I didn't know what to believe. I had been told that I had just lost two of my best friends to Voldemort, another one was dead and you were the one who did it."

He looked back at Sirius's hurt filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Padfoot," Remus said breaking the tense silence that had filled the room.

Sirius glared at him until he noticed how horrible his friend looked, beating himself up over this and said, "It's alright mate. Just… just keep reading."

He looked away, not knowing what to think anymore.

**"****It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"**

**"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again…"**

**Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.**

**"****But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.**

**"****No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though…"**

**Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu; he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?**

"You are not weak Harry," said Kingsley kindly, forgetting that he was still at the school.

"Why do those creatures have such a bad effect on him?" Molly asked, looking at Remus with worry-filled eyes.

Remus wasn't sure he could tell them. He said slowly. "His worst memory. The reason it affects him worse than everyone else is because Harry's had a worse past then others. When the Dementors come near him, he hears his one most terrible memory."

"Which is…?" Tonks began, but fell silent at the look on the werewolf's face.

"I'm sure that we'll find out soon enough," he said softly.

**Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know…"**

**Harry took a bite and to his great surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of his fingers and toes.**

**"****We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"**

**Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name.**

"Moony?" Sirius said trying to force himself to act normally; it was getting harder the more they read this book, his emotions were having so many ups and downs. "Be honest with me. Where you hoping that he would remember you?"

Remus blinked in surprise at the question before he looked thoughtful. "I won't deny that a part of me hoped that he might've recognized me. But come on," he smiled bitterly. "He was just an infant when I last saw him. There was no way that he would remember me."

"He sorta remembered, Sirius," Kingsley reminded him.

"Yes," Remus nodded. "But I didn't spend nearly enough time as Padfoot here did. He spent every second of his free time over at the Potters and played with him. Even then," he looked at Sirius's miserable face and continued, "They had such a strong bond that I'm not too surprised that a part of Harry would recognize him. No, even though I hoped that he would remember me, I think that it worked out for the best."

"But…" Molly began, but Remus didn't want to elaborate and kept reading.

**"****Fine," he muttered, embarrassed.**

**They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.**

**"****Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.**

**"****All right, you three?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry could only assume, by an invisible horse,**

"Nope, they're pulled by Thestrals," Tonks said quickly.

"Yeah, well they don't know that do they?" Severus stated obviously.

"Wait, how come he couldn't see them in third year?" Arthur said musingly, thinking how Hermione had told him about Hagrid's classes. "Hermione told me that they were studying them just a couple weeks before Christmas and told me that Harry could see them."

"Because he was too young to remember seeing his parents die," Mad-Eye said bluntly. "And he saw Diggory be murdered last summer."

That shut them all up.

**because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.**

**The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again.**

Sirius twitched once, but didn't have the energy to say anything this time.

**As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again; he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates. The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out.**

**As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.**

**"****You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actually fainted?"**

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Tonks growled. "What is with this idiot? I bet that he was even more scared of them than anyone else!"

"Keep your fat nose out of it Malfoy," Sirius mumbled. "Argh, why did Neville tell him that? I thought that he hated Malfoy as much as they did!"

"I don't think he did," Kingsley reasoned. "I think that it's more likely that he overheard Neville talking about it to someone else."

"Yeah, well, he should've kept his mouth shut!" Sirius said, not for the first time, hoping that this damn chapter would end.

**Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.**

**"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.**

**"****Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"**

**"****Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.**

"You tell him Professor Moony," Sirius mumbled, feeling his negative emotions towards his friend decrease. "Please, give him a detention or something while you're at it."

**Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no — er —**_**Professor**_**," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.**

"He's insulting you and you let him get away?" Tonks cried exasperated. "Moony you are unbelievable! You must have the patience of a saint to do that!"

"He's a student, I'm a teacher. I need to set an example for them all," Remus said as he suppressed a tired yawn. "Besides, I didn't know just how horrible he really was."

**Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the three of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.**

**The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"**

"What did they do this time?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"I don't remember them doing anything wrong," Arthur said confused as he thought back to what they could've done for Minerva McGonagall to ask for them.

"Maybe it's 'cos of you, Sirius…?" said Tonks uncertainly as she gave up trying to think of what they did wrong.

"But why bring Hermione?" he asked her.

"Maybe she knew that Harry would tell his friends about this later and decided to make it easy for them?"

"Then why isn't Ron there as well?"

"Oh, they aren't in trouble," Remus cut in. "I reckon she wants to see Harry about the Dementors."

"How would she know about that?" Mad-Eye asked.

"Because…" Remus said softly, "I sent an owl ahead of us. That's what I was doing when I went to see the driver. I was worried and I thought that I should let Dumbledore and the other teachers know that the Dementors were on the train."

"That was good of you Remus," Molly said approvingly. She was quite worried for her children and Harry's reaction to those creatures and wanted them taken care of as soon as possible.

"Then why is Hermione going too?" Sirius persisted to ask.

"Read and find out," Severus said getting annoyed, just wanting to hurry up and leave.

**Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong.**

"Yeah, she is good at that," Sirius snickered. With each year that passed by, McGonagall could always make them feel like they did something wrong, as she gave them all such harsh punishments when they were caught. Hard to believe that she was actually their favorite teacher!

"That's probably because when she normally talked to you, you _had_ done something wrong," Remus said rationally.

"Whatever happened to _'Innocent until proven guilty?'_" he asked out loud.

"Because you and 'innocent' don't belong in the same sentence," Severus said, though no one heard him as Sirius gave out a dramatic sigh.

**"There's no need to look so worried — I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."**

**Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.**

**Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Harry and Hermione to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter."**

**Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.**

"Oh, Harry really won't like that," Sirius said sympathetically.

**Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.**

**"****I'm fine," he said, "I don't need anything —"**

**"****Oh, it's you, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"**

Arthur chuckled, "She must be getting tired with treating Harry so much."

Remus nodded. "She was like that with me too. She said that she didn't want to see me in there unless it was after the full moon."

"Aww," Sirius pretended to pout. "One would think that she didn't like seeing you around, Moony."

**"****It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall.**

**They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.**

**"****Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. "He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate —"**

"Oh, I bet Harry really liked that," Sirius said wincing in horror.

**"****I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly.**

"No he's not," Sirius said proudly. "Tough as dragon scales."

**"****Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse.**

**"****What does he need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"**

"Term hasn't even started yet and already people are trying to get him in the Hospital Wing," Kingsley said raising his eyebrows.

"Proves that they care about him," Molly said determined.

**"****I'm fine!" said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture.**

**"****Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.**

**"****I've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us."**

**"****Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"**

"You've got Madam Pomfrey's approval," Arthur joked, as Remus blushed crimson and sank in his seat.

"That shouldn't surprise you. She knows you so well," Sirius said happily. "I think that you had to have spent half of our school lives there."

"Yeah but…"

"Oh, be quiet, Professor Moony," Sirius said clapping him on the back again. "We all know that you're a fantastic teacher so stop pretending that you aren't."

"Oh, gag me," Severus said looking sick.

"Oh, I wish I could," Sirius said with narrow eyes.

**"****Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.**

**"****Yes," said Harry.**

**"****Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."**

**Harry went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself. He had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, **

"Wonder why she was so happy?" Severus said suspiciously.

**followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.**

**It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.**

**"****Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"**

**New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, **

"Easily the best House by far," Sirius cheered loudly, grinning like a manic.

**Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, **

"Which anyone with eyes is actually the best," Tonks snickered.

**or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Harry. Had the story of his collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast?**

"Most likely," Sirius grimaced.

"There's no secrets in Hogwarts," Arthur said, though he noticed Sirius and Remus shifted for a second. He didn't bother asking however.

**He and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats.**

**"****What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.**

**Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.**

Sirius frowned in anger at just the name of Dumbledore. He suddenly wished that his dear _'Headmaster'_ was here just so that he could have someone to yell at again.

**Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment.**

Sirius looked even angrier at that, he felt his fury reaching its boiling point. Harry was still innocent at this point… sure, nothing near like that same innocence at eleven or even at twelve, but he despised the thought of Harry thinking so highly of the man who left him alone at those Dursleys and then again when he was facing life-threatening dangers.

He was now torn between deciding who to go after Wormtail, the Dursleys, or Dumbledore…

**"****Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious,** **I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…"**

**Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."**

**He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.**

**"****They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. **

"That won't stop the _'Golden Trio,'_" Severus said in disgust.

"Nobody asked you!" Sirius yelled at him. Though he was most likely right about that… once those three set their minds to something there was no stopping them.

**"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.**

**Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.**

"It's amazing how Dumbledore can do that even when he isn't talking," said Remus impressed.

"I never understood how he could do that," Arthur said in envy. "I've been wishing I could do that ever since Fred and George started to walk and talk."

**"****On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.**

**"****First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."**

**There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause.**

"Come on, show some enthusiasm! Moony is awesome!" Sirius cried, clapping loudly.

"After two horrible defense professors, I don't blame them for not being keen for this one," Kingsley said.

"Well I'm not too worried; that won't last long," Sirius said as he leaned back in his seat.

**Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.**

**"****Look at Snape!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear.**

Sirius snickered at said man. "I bet you were really happy to see your old schoolyard playmate sitting there."

Severus grunted and jeered in sarcasm and you could easily detect a trace of detestation. "Oh, I was absolutely _thrilled_."

**Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry.**

"Moony and Harry didn't do anything to deserve your loathing." Sirius hissed, glaring at Severus, who glared right back with equal hate.

"Actually, Sirius, _I _do kind of deserve it," Remus said sadly, looking at Severus apologetically. "I mean… I never did stop you from picking on him."

"But you never did join in on the pranks or teasing," Sirius said, ignoring the growling coming from Snape, his hands clenched tightly as though longing to wrestle his wand from Moody and curse them both.

Remus just shook his head at Sirius antics.

**"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."**

"YES!" Tonks cheered.

"But how could he be a Professor, he's not even allowed to do magic?" Mad-Eye asked.

"He can now," said Tonks happily. "Now that our favorite trio cleared his name."

"But he still doesn't know any magic," Severus stated. He never had much love for the half-giant.

"You don't need magic for Care of Magical Creatures," pointed out Arthur. "And you know that you won't find anyone out there that knows more about taking care of creatures than Hagrid."

"He'll do great," Tonks beamed.

"Just as long as he doesn't show them any dragons," Molly said sternly, her eyes narrowed.

"Or spiders," Arthur added thinking it over.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.**

**"****We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.**

**"****Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"**

**The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.**

**It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.**

"Yep! That was brilliant!" Tonks said doing a little jig with happiness.

**At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.**

**"****Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table.**

**"****All down ter you three," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it… great man, Dumbledore… came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough… It's what I always wanted…"**

"Well," Sirius said grudgingly. "I guess Dumbledore can do some things right. Not a lot but some."

**Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, "Password?"**

**"****Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"**

**"****Oh no," said Neville Longbottom sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.**

**Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.**

"Everyone feels the same way," Sirius said nodding in understanding. "Especially, if we come from rotten homes."

"That's the end of the chapter," Remus said putting the book down. "Finally."

"Great," Severus said. "Now we can stop." He stood up and held out his hand to Mad-Eye, silently demanding his wand.

"Did you learn your lesson?" Moody asked Snape like a stern father teaching his kid a few manners.

A muscle was going in Severus jaw but he just bit back his retort and nodded. Everyone could tell that all he wanted was to hurry up and leave. So after a few more seconds, Mad-Eye pulled out his wand and handed it over to its owner.

"Just so we're clear," Mad-Eye said warningly. "I'll be watching you until you leave."

Severus snatched the wand away, and without another word, turned on his heel and marched out the door without looking back.


	8. Padfoot Vs Moony

**Chapter 6: Padfoot Vs. Moony**

Severus almost ran from the room as everyone else watched him slightly startled at his behavior. But now that he was gone, they all couldn't help but feel a bit relieved that he wasn't breathing down their necks any longer. It felt as though the room had warmed up slightly now that Snape had left.

They all talked about what they learned in the last five chapters of the book for a few minutes before they all slowly got up and decided to call it a day as well. Kingsley and Moody gave them all a nod and bade them goodnight before they followed Severus and left the house.

Molly and Arthur both yawned as they got up and were getting ready to leave. Arthur had guard duty tonight, so they couldn't stay for much longer anyway. But as they gathered up their cloaks, Molly gave Remus a knowing smile before looking at Tonks and saying a loud goodbye to her. Sirius appeared to have been the only one who noticed this but he didn't say anything as he smirked at his old friend.

Remus knew Sirius well enough to know that smirk meant trouble. How many times had he seen it right before he and James would pull off some superb prank or joke? Yet, at the same time there was something different about it… Sirius was uncharacteristically silent, a smug and slightly happy look in his usually haunted eyes that made Remus worry. Privately, he didn't want to know what it was that Sirius was thinking about, and hoped that he was just being paranoid about all this.

"I'll see you sometime later, then?" Tonks's voice spoke up and caused Remus to jump, forgetting that she was there. He looked around to see that the Weasleys were gone and Tonks was now addressing him.

"Wonderful," Remus answered her a little heartedly. "Well… ah… I guess I'll see you then?"

Tonks grinned happily as she turned to the door that everyone else had left through. But her clumsiness somehow managed to cause her to trip over one of the armchairs. She wavers precariously on the spot for a split-second before falling forward—and then Remus quickly reached out and caught her by the shoulders, steadying her before she did a face-plant in the carpet.

"Careful," he said to her quietly as she found her balance again. After a moment of merely looking at him, as though she couldn't believe her luck, she smiled back in an oddly breathless way.

Sirius let out a loud snort which brought them both back down to earth.

"Ah, thanks," she said, more softly than her normal lively character.

"Of course," he answers courteously, and, after making sure she was able to stand on her own without falling over again, and secretly cherishing the fact that he was looking at her face, he let her go—feeling as if the sun had gone out the moment he did.

"So, um, see you," she said to him smiling, and then giving a rather awkward wave to Sirius as she called out, "Later, Sirius!"

Sirius mimicked the gesture, a little too gleefully. She turned back to the door… only to trip again, this time over nothing in particular but her own feet. She caught herself and swore loudly at the pain in her big toe as she looked back at Remus in embarrassment and ran from the room. Remus had to chuckle at her cute innocence.

At least until he felt Sirius's eyes on back of his head and he turned to look at him. Perhaps against his better judgment, he asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Sirius grinned with his eyebrows raised. He looked at the open door and asked, "Tonks is sure cute don't you think, Moony?"

Remus turned a bright red before he practically bolted from the room, obviously wanting nothing more than some time alone. Sirius could only shake his head in amusement, and maybe slight disappointment at his friend's behavior. He leaned back in his seat as he pulled The _Prisoner of Azkaban_ towards him, wanting to read the part where Marge was bouncing off the ceiling again.

_*A little later*_

Remus had been in bed for the last hour, trying hard to figure out what was going on with him. Just why was his heart feeling this way? He first met _**her**_ when she was only seven years old, when Sirius introduced him, James, and—he frowned—Wormtail to his cousin Andromeda and her family. Sirius always said that she was his favorite cousin, and he could see why.

Andromeda… or Andy that Sirius affectionately calls her, was very different from the rest of her family like Sirius. While her sisters married into _'respectable_' pure-blood families, she chose to marry for love despite her family's opposition, leading to her being disowned. In addition of being a good wife, and mother… Andromeda is a woman dedicated to her family and friends.

That was only one of the reasons that Sirius was so eager to introduce her and her family to the other Marauders. That day, Remus was first introduced to seven-year-old Tonks… at the time he only just turned twenty… looking back, he never once thought that things would turn out like this.

_*Flashback*_

_He, James, Sirius and Peter were all sitting side-by-side on the couch, enjoying some cakes while Andromeda, Ted and their little girl came into the room. The cute, little seven-year-old bounded forward and gave them all a toothy smile. "Hi!" she cried out in a sweet voice. "My name is Tonks! What's yours?"_

"_Dora," Andromeda said fondly and ran her hand through her daughters golden locks. "Tonks is your last name."_

_She looked a little disgruntled at the name 'Dora' and said, "I don't like my first name, mummy. I like Tonks! Just call me Tonks!"_

_Andromeda looked up at them and said with a sigh, "Her real name is Nymphadora. Or Dora for short…"_

"_No," Tonks said stubbornly. "It's Tonks! Just Tonks!"_

"_Why don't you like your name, Dora?" Sirius said in a teasing tone. Tonks turned to look at him with a glare and marched right up to him. "It's Tonks," she repeated slowly and carefully as if she thought that he was dumb. "I know that you're a little slow, but I hoped that you could understand that much."_

"_Ok!" Sirius called out, going red as his friends all laughed at the Great Padfoot being out-smarted by a little girl. She grinned again as she scrunched up her face tightly as if trying to remember something; and her golden hair had turned to a bright punk-green._

_Peter gasped. "How did you do that?!" he cried in amazement._

_Dora, a.k.a. Tonks, straightened up proudly and said, "I'm a Metamorphmagus! You jealous?"_

"_Wow, Padfoot," James smiled at his best friend and applauded Tonks who took a bow. "Why didn't you tell us your baby cousin could do that?"_

"_I wanted to see the look on Wormy's face when he saw it for the first time," Sirius grinned. Everyone, including Ted and Andromeda laughed at the embarrassed look on Peter's face. Remus, still laughing, just noticed that Tonks had come up to him and held out her hand for him to shake._

"_Nice to meet you, Moony," she said brightly._

_Remus smiled politely as he took her hand. "Don't listen to, Sirius," he told her. "It's Remus. Remus Lupin."_

_*End of Flashback*_

It had been years later when he finally saw her again, now an adult. It was when Sirius had come to him the night that Voldemort had returned and was asked by Dumbledore to contact the members of the Order once again. Mad-Eye Moody brought Tonks and several other of his new/old Aurors with him when he returned to the first Order meeting to hear what Dumbledore had to say about Voldemort.

Remus barely recognized her as the cute little girl whose hand he shook during a time when everything seemed much simpler. He sighed as he covered his eyes with one scared hand and rubbed them so hard that he saw little lights popping in and out.

If he had to admit it, Tonks really was beautiful to him. He liked the sparkle in her eyes, the heart-shaped face, just every little detail about her. No matter what face she wore, he could always see hers behind them all. He loved everything about her… especially when she smiled at him. But then came his usual depressing thoughts that Tonks would never love someone like him. Of course not—why would she? He was too poor, too old, and too dangerous for someone like her to love. He turned his head to the side before letting out a sigh of misery.

He thought back to when he prevented her from falling just an hour ago… how she cracked a grateful smile and uttered a thank-you, which sent a happy jolt through his body. Oh, what the hell was wrong with him?

"Remus," called Sirius' voice suddenly yelled out as he hammered on his door. "I know you're in there! Open up!"

Remus sighed again as he pointed his wand at the door and unlocked it. And Sirius banged it open before almost skipping into the room.

"Hey there, Moony," said Sirius as he plopped down on the bed next to him like the countless times he did back when they were still sharing a dormitory, "Wow. Our friendly neighborhood werewolf actually sulking in his room? Never saw that before."

"I'm not sulking," Remus retorted as he turned his head away from Sirius to stare stubbornly at the wall.

"Touchy. I just wanted to talk to you like old times," Sirius said smoothly.

A pained expression crossed Remus' face, and he was suddenly thankful that Sirius couldn't see his face. "Well, I don't feel much like talking right now, thank you."

The smile spread across Sirius face.

"What is it?" Remus demanded, finally glancing at him with annoyance. "What are you so happy about?"

Sirius shrugged as he lay across the bed at Remus's feet. "Oh, nothing much," he admitted. "It's just that I've noticed the way that you've been looking at my cousin lately and I just wanted to talk about it."

Remus flushed in humiliation. Was it really that obvious? "That's none of your business," he said darkly.

"Quite the contrary," Sirius argued, propping up on an elbow and looked at him with merriment. "Seeing that she's my cousin and you're my best friend… so yeah, I think that it is my business."

Remus glared at him. He did not want to spend his time at Grimmauld Place talking to Sirius about her! But he just couldn't seem to find any good words to tell him off with. Sirius was acting so… serious. That wasn't like him. He only acted like this when the discussion was very important to him. Remus let out a groan as his head flopped back onto his pillows and stared at the ceiling with a depressed look.

Sirius rolled his eyes in frustration. Anyone with eyes could see that his twenty-three year old cousin had a crush on Remus. Everyone except Remus that is. Sirius stayed quiet for an unnervingly long time before bluntly announcing, "It's really too bad. Because I get the feeling that she likes you."

"And I like her," Remus answers, unperturbed and still not looking at him. "She's a very bright young witch… a invaluable member of the Order and…"

"No," Sirius said annoyed as he leaned in and whispered, "I mean, she _likes_ you."

Remus meets Sirius's eyes and finds himself suddenly seeing a much younger looking Sirius shining out of the gaunt face. For a brief second he could've sworn that he was still a teenager at Hogwarts, and Sirius was bugging him into finally getting a girlfriend.

But that moment quickly passed as he frowned at him slightly. "Very funny."

"I'm not trying to be funny," Sirius stated coolly. "I'm just noticing that you aren't the only one who seems to be eyeing someone with a interest around here."

Remus looked away once again. Sirius grunted for a moment before continuing, with oddly sarcastic grandeur. "What I'm trying to say is… our lovely young Nymphadora Tonks seems to be quite smitten with you."

Remus keeps his gaze on a crack in the ceiling and just asked, "And what on earth makes you think that?"

"You know, I'm really not sure," Sirius answers with mock consideration. "I think it has something to do with the fact that she can't even look at you without blushing? That's just my opinion though."

"If that's true, don't you think I would have noticed that?" Remus points out impatiently. "Don't you think I would've seen that she was interested in me? Not that anyone in their right mind would be…"

"No, you wouldn't notice," Sirius interrupted promptly. "Doesn't matter how book smart you are, Remus. You're an idiot when it comes to girls."

Remus couldn't focus on the crack above him anymore so he looked at Sirius in the face and asked with raised eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

"Trust me on this one, Moony," Sirius nodding gravely at him. "In case you forgot, I used to be quite the ladies man in school?"

"A fair point," Remus concedes with a sigh. "Still, I hardly think _she_ would—"

"Well, she has," Sirius interrupts briskly. "And quite frankly, I'm a bit concerned on how you're taking this."

"Are you now?" Remus asks, a bit reluctantly.

"Well, yes," Sirius says, and lets out a heavy sigh. Remus watches him, apprehensive. "I mean, you always said that you would never get a girl because of your _'furry little problem,'" _Remus grimaced at the old nickname as Sirius continued. "So you're going to try and push her away because you think you're protecting her. And if I know you as well as I think I do, you're going to try and add age and wealth into the factor as well. Be honest with me Moony…" Sirius looked at him long and hard. "What was the kind of girl did you picture that you could ever date?"

"Someone blind to start off with," Remus replied dully as he sat up and stared sadly at Sirius. "Someone who's desperate and lonely… maybe even a little crazy or perhaps masochistic? Just someone who decided to take what she could get and still blame me for everything that goes wrong."

"Do you really think that low of yourself, Remus?" Sirius asked sadly, it pained him to hear his friend talk about himself this way.

"I don't know anymore," Remus answered as he looked down at his hands in a lost sort of way.

"Well, I know that _you_ fancy a girl who isn't any of those things," Sirius stated firmly. "Well… ok, she's a little bit crazy, but no one's perfect."

"How do you know that I like her?" he demanded a little too quickly.

"Please," Sirius rolled his eyes, "Unless you somehow manage to convince me to believe that you get all red-faced and sometimes forget how to talk whenever she's around is all just a coincidence, it's pretty obvious."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me, you know," he finally said, voice low and harsh, eyes turning cold. "I know what I'm doing."

"Do you really?" Sirius asked him as he reached out and took his shoulder. "I'm not so sure you do anymore."

"Sirius," Remus said, really starting to get angry. "I assure you that nothing will happen."

Sirius shrugged as he sat up. "Ok," he said. "I'm just saying that I think that it would be great if you both got together that's all."

Remus blushed slightly as he thought of him actually being together with Tonks… but he felt the urge to slap himself awake. No, it could never happen. Tonks deserves someone who was young and whole. Someone who could keep a well-paid job, someone who would be able to take care of her without making her into a outcast or constantly putting her in danger.

He was none of those things. No, he decided long ago that he was just meant to be alone. Love, marriage, a family… these were things that he would never have so he should just give up dreaming about them already and move on.

Sirius sighed again, seeming slightly troubled. "I just thought that it would be great if you could finally get together with someone who does love you. Tonks needs someone patient and willing to put up with her. Someone like…"

"Don't you dare say, _'someone like me,'_" Remus snapped at him as his bitter thoughts continued to play themselves in his mind like a broken record.

Sirius held up his hands in surrender. "Ok, I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn't over think things when it comes to something this."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Remus said sadly. After a second, he can't help adding, "I still think you're wrong, though."

"About Tonks?"

"About Tonks," he said firmly.

Sirius's face has begun to take on an expression of persistence. "You're not going to believe me, are you?"

"No," Remus replies evenly. "I'd rather not."

"I figured as much," he muttered rolling his eyes in an angry kind of way.

"I just don't see it," Remus says firmly, stand up and pacing the room as a means of distraction.

"You wouldn't," Sirius snorted. "But you're the only one who doesn't. Molly sure seems happy when she thinks of you two together. She thinks it's cute."

Remus stared at him. "Now what are you going on about?"

Sirius yawned in a bored way. "Oh, it's just the way that Molly looks when she sees you two together."

Remus gripped handfuls of his hair and almost cried out, "I don't get it! Tell me, what on earth does Tonks see in me?! I'm a werewolf! I'm unemployed! People can't look twice at me knowing what I am! Not to mention I'm thirteen years older than her! What does she see in me?!"

"I don't know if you realize it, mate," Sirius said as he closed his eyes with a grin. "And I hate to be the one to tell you this… but you have to be one of the most, if not THE MOST, decent human being in existence."

Sirius stretched as he got off the bed. "You're smart, calm, tolerant, and good-natured. And… despite having suffered a great deal of discrimination your whole life by prejudice gits, your extremely forgiving. I don't know how… but surprisingly enough, that kind of thing can be very attractive to women."

"You don't say?" Remus had to ask with a slight smirk.

"Moony, you don't give yourself enough credit. You really need to try and get a girlfriend. You're thirty-five years old and never had a proper relationship!" Sirius told him in an almost scolding way. "Have you ever even been kissed by a female?"

"And why do you think that I never been with a girl before, Sirius?" Remus said slightly aggressively. "Those few who aren't afraid of me, don't want anything to do with me! And from what I've seen, you don't exactly have a girl either!"

"Well, I feel the need to point out that it's a little hard to meet people when you're confined to a solitary cell in Azkaban for twelve years," replied Sirius coolly.

There was an icy pause as the two men looked at each other. Then Remus' posture slumped and he fell backwards onto the bed.

"I'm sorry," he began quietly, "I didn't mean to—"

"And I think that you're like this because you're afraid that you might make a mistake and do something that you would never do of your own free will," said Sirius, thinking of the silver wolf that he was cursed to become once a month. "And I think that you're scared of the effects it will have on her life if you two ever do get together."

"Looks like you have been listening to me all along," Remus muttered bitterly. "So you should understand that I can't do that to her, Sirius. She's so young—over ten years younger than me. Tonks can't afford to have her life ruined because of my condition. If I truly love her, how can I do that to her?!"

"On the contrary, I think it would make her happy. You're forgetting she's Andromeda's and Ted's daughter. She doesn't care about what society thinks of her, Remus. I know she likes you a great deal, and she WANTS to be with you."

"The danger of my transformations isn't as simple as you think," Remus pointed out harshly. "You of all people should know what happens to me. You've seen what I become! What I'm capable of! It took everything you and James had to keep me under control at school and I nearly killed Harry and Hermione that night you came back."

"_That_ night," said Sirius firmly, "Was just one simple mistake."

"A mistake that I could make again!"

"You're making it sound like Tonks can't take care of herself!" Sirius shouted. "She's an Auror! She's a big girl! She can look out for herself! Besides, if you didn't see mine and Wormtail's names on the map that night, then you never would've come running after us and missed your potion! You always take every precaution to protect yourself and everyone else! You would never hurt anyone if you could help it! And if push comes to shove, you rather kill yourself before you hurt anyone you care about! I know it, and Tonks knows it! I think that must be the main reason why she cares about you so damn much! We all do! So stop thinking of yourself as a monster and more as a human!"

Sirius finally stopped shouting, breathing hard as if he just ran a mile as Remus stared at him with his mouth slightly opened in shock, not knowing what to say. All the emotions running across his face, tight and creased, were not difficult to pick out and examine. Sirius felt heart-broken for his friend. Whatever Remus thought, he did understand the difficulty and all the pain that he went through—physically, mentally, and emotionally. But he also knew that this could be the only chance that his cousin and his thick-headed, wolf friend could ever have at love and happiness… he wasn't going to give this up without a fight.

"I don't know," Remus sighed. "I could never forgive myself if something happened…"

"Tonks knows the risks," said Sirius exasperated, "And if you ask me, she believes they're worth taking."

"Do you think if she actually saw me as a fully-fledged werewolf next month she would change her mind?" he half-laughed bitterly at the thought.

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart, mature one here," Sirius said in disappointment. "At least give it a chance?"

Shaking his head, Remus yelled out, "I just don't get it! Not counting my 'furry little problem' I still have a whole list of issues and problems! What can I offer her?"

Sirius grinned at his friend and answered, "Well, you're not half-bad looking underneath all that grey."

"Thank you, Sirius," said Remus mockingly though his face still grim.

"Seriously, though," Sirius said solemnly, and walked forward to place a hand on his shoulder. "I have a good feeling about you two. For once in your life, Moony… do what makes YOU happy."

"Whatever," Remus said as he collapsed onto his bed, looking older and more tired than Sirius had ever seen him. "Never knew that you were the one to talk about girls."

Sirius let out his trademark, bark-like laugh. "I'm a _ladies' man_ in case you forgotten."

He then turned and headed to the door, deciding to go back to his own room and call it an early night as well.

"Sirius?" Remus asked just as he turned to shut the door behind him on his way out.

"Remus?" he asked sarcastically.

Remus, who had his eyes covered with a tired hand, grinned slightly. "I'm glad that you're back… I missed having you around. Thanks."

Sirius grinned again. "Consider us even for all the advice you've been giving me."

He left the room and headed straight for his own bed… though he knew that neither one of them were going to be getting any sleep that night.


	9. Sometimes We Just Forget

**Chapter 7: Sometimes We Just Forget**

Albus was sitting behind his desk and had listened to everything that Severus learned from the last few chapters of the book for what felt like the hundredth time that week… at least to Snape it felt like a hundred.

"If you ask me, Dumbledore," he finished explaining once again about how Harry had passed out on the train, "I find all the little things in his life tedious and pointless! Did I really have to hear about how Potter swooned over a broomstick? Or how he was talked to little sidekicks about blowing up his aunt? Completely worthless!"

"I think that it sounded enjoyable, Severus," Albus told him pleasantly. "It shows that Harry does have some good memories and some fun times despite everything that has happened to him. It shows that Harry is human and, for the most part, no different than from other teenager."

Severus rolled his eyes and asked, "And yet you favor him over all the other students?"

Albus gave him a sad look and said calmly, yet there was a slightly steely note in his voice at the same time, "Severus, I had hoped that after all this you could learn to see Lily in Harry instead of just James. And believe me, I do try my hardest not to show any favoritism to the boy. Especially these days with Voldemort trying to force his way into his mind. My presence is a danger to Harry and I do not want to risk his safety anymore than I have to. Tell me, just how is Harry coming along with his Occlumency lessons?"

"Terrible," Severus snapped at him. "He's getting worse with every lesson. He's not doing what I instruct him to. He just refuses to empty his mind, wanting to let the dreams continue."

Albus sighed unhappily. He was afraid of this. Of course, Harry didn't know just how important it was for him to learn Occlumency. And Albus knew that if Harry understood the real reason why, then he knew that Harry would focus on nothing else but learning to block his mind from Voldemort. But how could he tell him? How could he tell the boy all this _without_ having to explain _everything_? If he had to be honest with himself, a part of him just wanted to come right out and tell Harry the truth so he could stop worrying about it… but how was he supposed to face the boy after everything that has happened? Just what was he supposed to do? Could he really stand to face the look of pure horror and devastation that will surely be in Harry's eyes when he told him about…

He sighed wretchedly as he stroked his beard. He knew that he couldn't keep all this hidden from Harry for much longer. He was already fifteen and will be turning sixteen in just a few months time. And with Voldemort on the move, Harry will need to know about the prophecy soon. But how could he place that inevitable burden of the world onto Harry's shoulders?

Not wanting to dwell on these horrible thoughts he said to Severus, though not without feelings of self-disgust, "Since it is the weekend, I think that we should be able to go over today. Would you please go and collect Minerva and tell her to meet us at Grimmauld Place? But make sure no one sees you, or hears you. Especially Umbridge."

"Why not read the damn book here if you want it so bad?!" Severus glowered at him.

"Two reasons," he told him. "I don't want anyone else to risk overhearing anything. And second, I don't think that Sirius would take so kindly to that. Ever since we received these books I believe that they are helping to keep his moral up. I hate to take that kind of comfort away from him when he needs it most."

Severus glared at him and finally decided on, "Fine. Do what you wish! But do I have to go as well?"

"No one is forcing you to," Albus said graciously. "If you truly don't want to go this time, I will not make you. You are old enough for your own decisions after all. But I think that it might benefit you should you come. Or…" he added in an afterthought. "If you rather stay here and keep Umbridge entertained…?"

"I rather have all my teeth pulled," he hissed before he turned on his heel and left to go and get Minerva.

_*Grimmauld Place*_

The house was quiet, far too quiet for Sirius's liking.

Morning had come too quickly for him. He felt as though he had just lied down and shut his eyes when the bright rays of morning sun streamed through his window and onto his face. Though now that he was awake, he had no plans to fall back asleep again.

It had already been nearly six days… six long days since anyone but Remus had come to the house, all of them too busy to be able to drop by and read a book with them.

Though to be honest, Sirius was in no hurry to finish this particular book… he was dreading the parts when Harry would be told about him being the supposed killer that everyone thought he was. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the canopy of his bed, lost in his depressing thoughts—wishing that he could talk to someone about it. But the only person here was Remus, and he didn't feel the need to force himself onto his company when his friend didn't want it.

He and Remus haven't talked since the night when Sirius had confronted him about Tonks and now they were both ignoring each other, not sure of what the other one should say.

At that moment, he was able to pick up the inviting smell of freshly brewed coffee, signaling Remus was up and about. Sirius sat up and pulled off his covers. He hated not talking to Remus like this; and so he slowly made his way out of his room, hoping that he could talk to good ol' Moony.

Sirius made his way down the stairs into the kitchen, and unsurprisingly found Remus sitting alone at the kitchen table reading the morning newspaper, and enjoying a freshly made cup of coffee.

Remus barely looked up when he heard Sirius enter. "Good morning, Padfoot," he greeted rather stiffly.

Sirius eyed him a bit coldly. "Someone's in a bad mood today," Sirius stated as he walked over to pour himself some coffee. "If I didn't know better, I would swear that there was a full moon last night."

"I'm fine." Remus told him, going back to the paper and refusing to look at him. "I heard from Dumbledore and the others by the way… they're coming over later to finally start on the next few chapters. They think that we might be able to make it all the way to Chapter 12 or even 13 if we go fast, but I won't get my hopes up. I'm betting that we make it to nine or ten—especially with the bad habit everyone has of interrupting every couple of lines."

Sirius nodded to show he understood, until he realized that Remus was still absorbed in his paper, though his eyes weren't moving, showing that he wasn't reading it. Sirius sighed as he took his place at the table across from Remus.

"The coffee's good," Sirius said as a pathetic attempt for conversation. Remus still didn't look up, and Sirius could see the hurt and indecision still in his eyes. Sirius hesitated for a second before saying, "I hate not talking to you Remus. I missed out on it for years… I don't know how much more of the silent treatment I can take."

That finally got through to him. Remus exhale noisily as he looked up at Sirius. "I hate it too, Sirius," he said sadly as he folded up his paper and put it down beside him. "But after what you said about T-Tonks…"

He looked down in embarrassment, and Sirius smiled. "Just give it a chance," he almost begged. "It's just that I know that _I_ have no hope of finding true love after what I've been through. But I want at least one of us to be able to."

Remus began, "Sirius…"

"No, Remus, you listen to me," Sirius cut him off, sounding almost angry. "You've always put others first, yourself last. For once in your life, do yourself a favor and do what YOU want. I'm sure that will make Tonks happy as well. Deny it all you want too," he added when he saw Remus shake his head. "But I know that she fancies you!"

Remus opened his mouth, but didn't seem to start another argument so soon and just turned away. "It would make me happy to see you happy for once, Moony," Sirius grinned. "You think that you would've jumped at this, you're in love with my little cousin and I'm giving you permission to date her."

Remus nearly choked on a piece of toast. "I'm not dating her!" he yelled almost miserably. "No matter what you say, Padfoot, I can't do that to her! Even if she does have any feelings for me, they sure won't last long when she sees…"

Sirius growled again. "Remus," he said exasperated. "Just go for it! I mean, at least you know you've tried! Do you really want to live the rest of your life with a _'What could've been?'_ Believe me, I do that every day."

That was too true. Every single day since that Halloween night he would wake up with those terrible regrets. With thoughts like, _'If only I didn't trust Wormtail,'_ and _'Why didn't I stay Secret-Keeper?'_ And most recently, _'Why was I such an idiot to go after that rat when my job was to take care of Harry? I am his godfather! Harry should've been my top priority!'_

He didn't want Moony to have those same regrets for the rest of his life if he never got together with Tonks.

Sirius growled, thinking of the prophecy. That prophecy had ruined all their lives—James's, Lily's, Harry's, (Especially Harry's) Remus's, his own… a part of him wanted to tell Harry the truth about the prophecy, and why Voldemort wanted him dead so badly. But he never felt so conflicted before in his life. He didn't want to keep such important secrets from Harry, but at the same time he felt that was one of the only ways he could protect his godson. For the first time, he could sympathize with Dumbledore for keeping this information secret from Harry.

Remus must've had some idea to what he was thinking because he sighed again and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He's fine Sirius. Harry's still at school, remember? He has Order members still there keeping an eye on him, and people making sure he's safe when he leaves the castle. Though…" he added suddenly, "I don't think he'll be leaving the castle anytime soon. I heard that Umbridge banned the kid from going to Hogsmeade because of the interview he gave."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "_'Kid?'_ Since when has Harry ever been allowed to just be a _'kid'_?"

Remus gave him a sad look, and began in a soothing tone, "Sirius…"

"He's not a baby anymore, you know," he said suddenly angry. "I don't think he needs watching 24/7."

"Yes," Remus said in a concerned tone, "But what if something happens to him because no one was keeping an eye on him? Look at all the danger he got into because people weren't paying attention! Look what happened when Dung left his watch last summer? Dementors attacked him and you know what could've happened to him if he didn't know the Patronus spell!"

"For Merlin's sake Remus, can't you see that you and everyone else acts like Harry's the escaped criminal or even someone who's a threat to others?" Sirius said catching Remus' slightly stern look.

Remus ran a hand through his hair, a sign of not knowing what to say. "Sirius I can't help but think this isn't such a good idea anymore."

Sirius sighed as he stood up, "You mean reading the books? I think that you're just getting a little paranoid these days, Moony. You must've been spending too much time with Mad-Eye."

Remus followed every movement he made when Sirius took his half-drunken coffee to the sink and poured the rest of it away. "Am I? You really think that we should keep reading then? You know as well as I do that it just gets harder and harder with every chapter. Remember what happened to him in the last two books?"

"I try not to," he answered, his back still to him as he put the mug on the counter and heaved a groan.

"Remus, Harry is a good kid," Sirius told him firmly. "Even if he's not allowed to act like one, he is."

"I know that he is, Sirius," Remus began, wondering where this was going.

"And I think that we should learn to trust him," Sirius stated almost against his better judgment. "I mean, I don't blame him for not being able to completely open up to us. From what I learned, he feels like the only people that he can trust are Ron, Hermione, and…" he grimaced at the name, "Dumbledore. Though, I doubt that Harry feels that way anymore with everything that Dumbledore's done this year."

"Sirius," Remus said. "Dumbledore isn't avoiding Harry for his own benefit when it's the opposite. He's trying to protect Harry."

Sirius turned abruptly to face Remus, "I know Harry, Remus. And I have to agree with that. If avoiding Harry will help to protect him, then I can't say that I blame him for doing so. But shouldn't Harry at least know why this is all happening? I'll be the first to admit he's reckless when he wants to be, but as you've pointed out so many times, Harry is _not_ James. James would go _looking_ for trouble. Harry doesn't." He gave a sad smiled as he finished by saying, "He gets dragged into it before jumping in head-first."

Remus looked at a loss of what to say. "Sirius, I know that we need to trust Harry, I do, but-"

"Then why is it so difficult?" Sirius asked the ceiling. He was looking up desperately, as if he expected the answer to just come to him at any second. If they were supposed to trust Harry, then why couldn't he?

Remus got up and hugged him hard as if they were real brothers trying to comfort each other. "I don't know," Remus said. "But if I had to guess, I think that sometimes we might mistaken Harry for the little baby that we used to know him as. I mean, he was just a year old the last time we saw him, and we didn't get a chance to see him again until he was a teenager. I think that we forget just how much he's grown… maybe sometimes we still see that same little baby that James used to make smoke rings or bubbles from his wand for him to try and catch. Or Lily picking him up and holding him—do you remember how she used to hold him?" he suddenly asked with a reminiscing smile. "She would pick him up and she held him close to her heart…"

Sirius smiled sorrowfully as tears burned his eyes. Remus continued, "And yes, after all he's been through, I don't blame him for not wanting to open up to us. But I do know that Harry is still hurting, and opening up to others isn't an easy thing for him to do. His aunt and uncle were terrible to him and I highly doubt that they were of any comfort to him…"

"Don't you think I know that?" Sirius spat pulling away, getting angry again at the thought of those Dursleys. "I don't need you to remind me of them!"

"All I'm trying to say…" Remus said, but Sirius had gone on again with a small rant as if he forgot that Remus was still there.

"Those Dursleys don't deserve any mercy from me! Damn Dumbledore to hell if he says that Harry has to go back to that house! I'm his godfather and I'm telling you that he's staying here. I will not let him get hurt again."

"Sirius, you know that you can't promise that," Remus said sadly. "Even if he's here, there's no way that you can protect him forever. You know as well as I do that Voldemort won't stop hunting Harry. Not until he's beaten, or Harry's dead."

"Well if I can," Sirius said fiercely, "I'll finish him off myself before he ever comes near Harry or anyone else ever again! I made up my mind years ago! I intend to go out fighting him! If I can, I'm going to take Voldemort down with me. If it's up to me, I'm going to make sure that he never gets another chance to take Harry's life."

He said this with such conviction that Remus couldn't doubt him for a second. Though the thought didn't comfort him at all. He didn't think he could stand it if he lost his last friend… his brother.

Sirius waved his hand at him sullenly. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Remus looked at him tiredly, but dropped the issue. He wanted to be able to trust Harry, but how can you expect a fifteen year old wizard to save the world… even if that wizard is Harry Potter?

Sirius on the other hand was still lost in his own head. He was going to trust Harry; he _had _to. Harry was a good person, inside and out… _and broken._ Sirius thought that with a pang of grief. He had suffered so much pain already. He needed people on his side. He needed people to trust him so that he could trust them in return and get through this. Sirius was not going to sit by idly and let the boy he loved so much suffer needlessly anymore, and he would do everything in his power to see to that, no matter what it cost him.

Sirius sat down at the table with his head in his hands, wishing that he could just go back to bed. Remus came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder squeezing apologetically. Sirius just nodded and sat there in silence for a long time.

They didn't have much time to dwell on it because in no time at all, the three teachers, the two Weasleys, Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and (Remus went bright red) Tonks—whose hair was a pretty aqua blue today and her eyes a startling grey—had arrived nearly at the same time, missing each other by the front door by minutes. They didn't talk much as they all greeted each other, some looking sadder than others before they all went up to the familiar drawling room, the book under Remus's arm.

They all sat down in their usual seats, though Remus chose to sit with Sirius between him and Tonks on the couch, which Sirius glared at him for.

After a few seconds of silence and no one was going to say anything, Albus had volunteered to read first. When no one objected, he took and opened the book to the sixth chapter, and he laughed out loud when he saw the picture of a woman wearing shawls and glasses that magnified her eyes like an insect, pouring a cup of tea.

Minerva looked over his shoulder to see what he thought was so funny and she rolled her eyes at the picture of the Divination teacher.

"What is it?" Tonks asked, half-way out of her seat to see what they were looking at.

Albus waved his hand down at her and said happily, "It's a picture of Sybill Trelawney. This chapter most likely will talk about their first day back at school." He then read out, **"Chapter 6: Talons and Tea Leaves**."


	10. Talons and Tea Leaves

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 8: Talons and Tea Leaves**

Albus waved his hand down at her and said happily, "It's a picture of Sybill Trelawney. This chapter most likely will talk about their first day back at school." He then read out, **"Chapter 6: Talons and Tea Leaves**."

"Now that's a strange title," Tonks stated comfortably. "What does that mean?"

"Tea leaves and the first day of classes?" Remus said with a slight chuckle. "It must mean this is where they have their first Divination class."

"But what would the talons do with it?" Sirius asked.

"Care of Magical Creatures," Arthur said quickly. "Ron wrote home to me and told me that they were in Hagrid's first class…"

"Oooohhh!" Tonks said looking at them interested. "That makes sense! Talons and Hagrid!? Of course! It's so obvious!"

"So we get to hear about two classes in just one chapter?" Moody asked with a yawn. "Well, there at least better be something interesting here."

"You are so hard to please, Mad-Eye," Tonks said as she turned her hair into a curly raven-black and her eyes turned to a bright yellow just because she wanted to.

"Ok," Albus said in a calming tone. He remembered hearing about that first day himself when he went down to see Hagrid when he heard about the incident with Buckbeak. Hagrid told him how Buckbeak attacked Draco Malfoy when he insulted him and how worried he was that he was going to be fired. It took some time for him to calm Hagrid down and convince him that he wasn't going anywhere. "Let me begin. And I'm sure that this will be an interesting chapter, Alastor."

**When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, **

"Oh, wonderful!" Sirius cried out sarcastically with his arms raised in mock celebration. "What a thing to brighten your first day back! Your enemy is the first thing you see that morning!"

**who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.**

Albus paused as he frowned at the line; Dementors were not something to laugh about. And apparently he wasn't the only one thinking that. Mad-Eye was looking like he wanted to go out and curse Malfoy, and Severus was looking very frustrated by his Slytherin charge.

"That's not funny," Sirius growled with clenched teeth. "I love to shove him next to a Dementor and see if he still thinks it's funny."

"How can he actually laugh at someone about having a bad reaction to a Dementor?" Molly asked in disgust. "They are the world's most horrible monsters and they will suck the happiness out of everyone."

"Yep," Tonks grumbled as she shuddered to think about those creatures herself. Being a Auror, you had be prepared to fight those things and she shivered remembering her first encounter with them. "I'm willing to bet that he didn't think it was so funny when he met them last night!"

"He's a Malfoy," Sirius said as if it was obvious. "He doesn't need an excuse to act like a git!"

"I can't argue with you on that," Arthur muttered under his breath, thinking with distaste of Malfoy senior.

**"Ignore him," said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it…"**

"Hermione's right," Molly agreed with a nod and folded her arms across her chest. "He shouldn't let what Malfoy says get to him. Honestly, he's not worth it."

"That's easier said than done," Mad-Eye stated gruffly as Minerva gave Severus a dark look as if it was his fault that Malfoy was acting like this.

"You should really start putting your foot down with your students," she told him harshly. "They think that they'll be able to get away with anything!"

"If memory serves me correctly," he told her, "You let your students get away with everything!"

"Not if they deserve it!" she said rather loudly, her eyes flashing dangerously. "At the very least, take points off them! You know, you've been teaching at the school for years, and you've never once taken points from your own House!"

"Oh really?" Sirius said. "What was that about you saying something about teachers shouldn't show favoritism?"

"Is it my fault that the other Houses are the ones that start the problems?" he asked coolly.

"Severus," Albus's voice commanded, and for the first time he sounded angry. No… more disappointed and frustrated than anything else. "I wish to talk to you about this once we are done here."

Severus just rolled his eyes at him and leaned back in his seat. He didn't give a damn what Dumbledore had to say about this. He wasn't showing any favoritism to his own House. He was just getting payback for all the years that the other Houses looked down on the Slytherins. And with everything that happens, the Slytherin House needed all the help it could get.

**"Hey, Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. **

"Agh," Tonks muttered as she changed her own face to try and match it and noticed the others giving her disgruntled looks. "She sure sounds attractive, doesn't she?" she asked as she changed back to her normal appearances.

"Ugly and Slytherin go hand and hand," Sirius said sensibly.

"What was that, Black?" Severus hissed at him, his hand longing to go to his pocket.

"You heard me, Snape," Sirius snarled back. "Like you don't know it…"

"Gentlemen," Kingsley yelled out, all traces of his patience gone. "Do I have to take your wands again? Really, just grow up and stop acting like dim, over-emotional children!"

It was a sign of how annoyed Kingsley was because he never yelled. That alone was enough to get them to stop arguing and sit back for Albus to keep reading. But it wasn't enough to keep them from glaring at each other with distaste.

**"Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!"**

There was a moment of silence they all stared incredulously at the book, struggling to comprehend the girl's pathetic taunt.

"Woooooooooo?" Remus repeated flatly. "You mean, that's it?"

Sirius let out a snort of laughter, and cried, "That has got to be the lamest taunt I have ever heard of in my life! And I went to school with Peter!"

"Oh yeah, that is just so funny," Tonks stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "She should write a one of those insult books! Too bad that it's going to be so short."

"Nah," Sirius said in mock seriousness. "That wouldn't' never sell! I think people would rather buy Lockhart's old books than that!"

**Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley.**

**"****New third-year course schedules," said George, passing then, over. "What's up with you, Harry?"**

**"****Malfoy," said Ron, sitting down on George's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table.**

**George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again.**

"Little git," Sirius hissed.

**"****That little git," he said calmly. **

Sirius grinned at that. "I always did like George."

**"He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"**

"What a coward!" Sirius said angrily, angry once again. "At least Harry didn't run away! And he has the gull to ridicule Harry about Dementors?"

"If I recall, so did you, Black," Severus stated silkily, "Anyone with half a brain would run from them. And technically, Potter couldn't even do that because he fainted."

"You are really pushing your luck, Snape," he growled, half a mind ready to rip out Snape's voice box so that he won't have to listen to that snide voice for any longer. Albus quickly read out the next line before things got any more dangerous than they were already.

**"****Nearly wet himself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.**

Sirius snickered in a satisfied way, while everyone else let out a humorless chuckle. Except for Albus who hated to see his students against each other like this and Severus who was looking embarrassed at his students from his House.

**"****I wasn't too happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those Dementors…"**

Sirius grimaced and said in a voice completely devoid of all emotion, "There's the understatement of the week." Everyone had tensed again as the conversation had become more serious. (Pun not intended) Sirius, in particular, looked sick every single time the Dementors were mentioned. Remus took his shoulder again.

"Don't worry," he promised. "You are never going back to them again. I promise, Sirius, you are never going to set foot back in Azkaban. We aren't going to let you suffer like that again."

Almost everyone else nodded. Severus just glared at Sirius as if he wished for nothing else but to put him back behind bars—and Albus who was staring at Sirius sorrowfully, guilt flooding throughout him for letting this happen to an innocent man. He should've known all along that something was wrong… but when he heard that Sirius was found laughing at the sight of Peter Pettigrew's remains… what was he supposed to think? If only he could go back to that night and change everything…

Not that Sirius noticed their faces, he just nodded dully as everyone else gave him words of comfort. Moody actually banged his staff on the floor in agreement. Albus let them go on for a few minutes until Sirius waved his hand at Albus, letting him know that he wanted him to continue.

**"****Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.**

**"****You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice.**

"Oh, Harry," Molly cooed, wishing that she could comfort the boy in the book. "You shouldn't worry about it."

"Yeah," Kingsley agreed. "It doesn't matter who you are. Everyone would've passed out eventually if the Dementors stayed on the train long enough."

"You do know that Potter's not here?" Mad-Eye asked as if he was unsure they knew that.

Molly seemed to be biting back a retort but Albus said, "No I agree. We all have our own painful memories… memories that cause us to suffer again and again."

They were all staring at him, but he didn't pay any attention to them as he thought back to his own memories—the ones that the Dementors force him to see. His father being carted off to Azkaban for getting revenge on those Muggle boys… his mother asking him to help her with Ariana, but he said that he was too busy with his studies… Aberforth yelling at him—standing up to him and screaming that he better start taking care of Ariana when he went back to school… but worse of all, seeing his dear little sister lying dead on the floor before him. He shut his eyes tightly, fighting to control his tears.

He was a fool and he knew it. He was a young fool who failed his whole family. The last time he saw his father, he promised that he would take care of his mother and his siblings because he was the eldest.

And somewhere along the way he forgot. He was only nine years old when his father was taken away. Percival was allowed to talk with his family one last time before he was forced to leave for Azkaban. His father pulled him aside and told him that as the first-born son, it was his job to take care of the family… and for the next few years Albus did what his father asked him. But when he went to school, he was pronounced as the most brilliant student to have ever passed through Hogwarts.

All those praises went straight to his head; and suddenly, his family was taking a back seat. He remembered his family with regret, wishing that he could see his parents and sister just one last time and to tell them just how sorry he was.

The day that they left him… he vowed that he would do whatever it took to protect and help others. That day he learned a hard lesson… You don't appreciate something—or someone until they're gone.

"Albus?" Minerva asked him as if far away. And with a great effort brought himself out of the past. He took a deep breath and was relieved to hear that his own voice was still steady.

**"****Forget it, Harry," said George bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking… They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."**

Sirius and Arthur both shuddered at those words. Sirius because he had been forced to live in that hell, and Arthur from remembering that one time he had to check out Azkaban for work—neither one ever wanted to see that island again. Remus noticed this and said softly, a sad smile on his face, "He's just trying to make Harry feel better. Letting him know that he has nothing to be embarrassed about and to just forget it."

Tonks suddenly turned to Sirius and asked, "Sirius? I've been wondering about that for a long time. How did you stay sane enough to break out of prison?"

Remus then grinned and had to fight down a laugh. The all looked at him in surprise and he told them, "I wouldn't go that far. I mean," he looked at Sirius and a laugh escaped his mouth. "Sirius was already crazy when he went in there. Going to Azkaban shouldn't have done too much to him."

Sirius gave him a nasty look, but found it very hard to stay angry with Remus who was now laughing. And soon enough he was joining in. Oh, werewolves… you just can't stay angry with them.

**"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"**

**The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse. **

"Well, I wouldn't say that," said Molly folding her arms and looking sour. "Look what happened to him in his last match?! He had his arm broken by a mad Bludger, was de-boned by a pitiful excuse for a teacher and he had to spend the night in the Hospital Wing to have them all re-grown!"

"Yeah, but Harry still won even after all that," Sirius stated with a kind of furious pride. "Just proves how terrible Malfoy is even though he had daddy pay them to take him in!"

It was Arthur's turn to have a smug smile. Lucius needed to learn there are just some things in this world that money can't buy. And talent for his son wasn't one of them.

**Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes.**

**Hermione was examining her new schedule.**

**"****Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily.**

**"****Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look — they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."**

**"How could you manage that?"**

**"****I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."**

"Fixed all what?" Mad-Eye asked as he looked at Minerva who, to their astonishment flushed and didn't seem to be able to look up at them. They all shared startled looks as she said simply, "When I talked to her before the welcoming feast, I had everything arranged for her to take all those classes. It's nothing that you need to be concerned with."

Severus looked from her to Dumbledore with a look of great suspicion. He wasn't aware of all this… just what did those two know about Granger's schedule? Maybe Albus noticed this, or just decided to keep reading because he went on to say…

**"****But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And —" Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, "look— underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"**

"That is a damn good question," said Mad-Eye as a very curious expression on his face as he pondered this. "How the hell can you sit for three classes at the same time?"

"You can't! That's impossible unless you can be in three places at the same time," Sirius said shaking his head with a look of complete horror on his face. He then cried out, "But let's face the real issue here! Isn't it bad enough to have _one_ class first thing on a Monday? Imagine having _three_!"

"Even if she could manage it," Tonks said as she shared a concerned look with Molly, "She'll be worn out in no time!" Now when she was still going through Auror training, Tonks had had a crazy schedule, but even she hadn't been told to have several classes at the same time. How on earth could Hermione do it? "I mean," she went on with a stern look at McGonagall, "I know she's brilliant and everything, but she'll just wear herself out by the end of the year! I thought that you couldn't sign up for all the classes! Tell us, how did you _'fix it all'_ for her?"

Minerva looked at her straight in the eye and said, "With a complicated bit of magic," she explained. "But I did ask her to consider dropping at least two subjects before the end of the year so that she could have a normal schedule again. And I'm glad to see that she did."

Kingsley looked thoughtful, as did Moody as they looked at each other. They both shared a silent conversation, having a fairly good idea of what Minerva's solution for Hermione had been, but weren't one hundred percent sure if they were right. However, if they were right, and Hermione did have a Time Turner that year, then this could prove to be a _very_ interesting year for everyone. Moody must've realized this at the same time that Kingsley did because he suddenly had an eager grin that twisted his face. Slightly worried, Kingsley thought, '_But how could a young third-year witch actually be allowed to have a Time-Turner? But then again…' _he realized._ 'Hermione Granger isn't an ordinary teenager.'_

**"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once."**

**"****Well then —"**

**"****Pass the marmalade," said Hermione.**

**"****But —"**

**"****Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?" **

"A _bit_ full?" repeated Sirius in incredulity. "I think she means _completely_ full! She's taking every single class that Hogwarts has! Even if it didn't kill her, she go mental!"

"I hate to say," Tonks stated, "But I have to agree with you on that one Sirius."

**Hermione snapped. "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."**

**Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.**

"There's a charming image," Tonks said wrinkling her now beak-like nose. "What's he doing with a _dead_ polecat? You can do something with one that's still alive… but a _dead_ one?"

"Most likely feeding his creatures for class," Albus informed her politely.

"Oh, no," Molly groaned. "Please tell me that he doesn't bring in something dangerous for class."

He gave her a gentle smile, "I'm sure that we'll come to it very soon."

**"****All righ'?" he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting' everthin' ready… hope it'sokay… me, a teacher… hones'ly…"**

"I think it's safe to say that it should be an interesting class," Sirius said grinning. "And it's his first ever! I can't wait to hear how it goes."

"I just hope no Slytherins try to mess it up for him," Tonks frowned, thinking bitterly of the Slytherins and their desires to cause hurt to others. "Especially if Malfoy and his gang of bullies are there."

Severus opened his mouth to tell her off when Arthur unexpectedly said in a concerned tone, "But does he know the limit by now?" They all looked at him and he said cautiously, "I mean… I know that Hagrid would never _intend_ to hurt someone… but who knows what kind of creatures he could've brought."

"Oh, I really hope it's nothing dangerous," Molly said worriedly. "He should start off with something small and harmless before moving up to dangerous things!"

"All creatures have the potential to be dangerous, Molly" Albus explained softly. "If you don't know how to handle them or if they feel threatened, then they do have the power to fight back. You should never corner any animal… they have a tendency to show their teeth."

"Good point," Tonks replied. "But I don't think we need to worry about that. Hagrid's never had a _normal_ view of what's dangerous or not, so I don't see why he would suddenly see now."

Sirius sighed as he ran he put his face in his hands again. These books were going to make him go grey by the time they were through with them.

**He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.**

**"****Wonder what he's been getting ready?" said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice.**

"I'm not surprised he's anxious," Kingsley said, his voice full of sympathy for the red-head. "Ron did meet up with some of Hagrid's _pets_ in the forest the year before this and I'm sure that they didn't help to cure his fear of spiders."

Minerva shook her head as she looked to Albus who was torn between amusement and worry about his old friend. Maybe they should have a long talk with Hagrid about that monster fascination of his? He shrugged decided that he would worry about that later and went on.

**The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule.**

**"****We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there…"**

**They finished breakfast hastily, said goodbye to Fred and George and walked back through the hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall.**

"Is that in practice for when the next time he encounters something scary himself?" Sirius growled, wishing that he could curse the whole Malfoy family and be done with it.

"Can't someone just hurry up and hex him or something?" Moody said annoyed. "This kid's getting on my nerves."

"Not like that's hard to do," Tonks declared and smiled brightly as Mad-Eye glared at her with both eyes. "I have to admit though," she went on, a little more disappointed than before. "This particular generation Slytherins are a bit lame don't you all think? Oh, well. At least they're easily entertained, aren't they?"

"It's easy to entertain the heartless," Sirius hissed under his breath as Severus looked like he wanted to strike them both dead at that moment.

**The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before.**

"They've never been in North Tower before?" Sirius echoed in astonishment. "But they're third years!"

"So?" Minerva replied. "What does that have to do with anything? I mean, the only reason people go up there is for class. They never needed a reason to go there before."

Sirius shrugged with a half-grin, "That's no reason not to! They really should know the castle by now."

Minerva gave him a disapproving look as Remus said, "I agree that they should known the castle by now, but I think that they might've had more important things to worry about than wandering around North Tower."

Sirius flushed at that and put his head down, looking a little ashamed of himself for forgetting that.

**"****There's — got — to — be — a — short — cut," Ron panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.**

"There is a short cut not far from that," Remus said suddenly, unable to stop himself.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, a hint of amusement coming back to him. "Right behind a tapestry of a bunch of dragons setting fire to some Dragon Tamers—that'll take you straight to the foot of the tower."

**"****I think it's this way," said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right.**

**"****Can't be," said Ron. "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window…"**

**Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. Harry was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off.**

They all groaned in realization, knowing that there was only one painting of a knight like that—and he was the most infuriating picture to have ever been made. How anyone could stand to actually paint that thing, they'll never know.

"Sir Cadogan," Sirius moaned, remembering how the stupid knight sometimes got him and James caught when they were trying to escape from a teacher. Whenever he would see them run pass, he would make so much noise that the teachers had no problems tracking them down. That, and the fact that Cadogan would tell them which way they went.

Many others were remembering their own bad experiences with that picture. Molly and Arthur were once caught out of bed one night when he made so much noise that he woke up most of the castle… that had been humiliating. Cadogan often insulted Tonks when she walked passed and was changing her hair or nose—he called her a_ 'she-beast' _who he thought needed to be slay.

Kingsley and Remus both often found it hard to concentrate on their homework whenever Cadogan found the need to walk through the rest of the castle and disturb the students. While the three teachers tried hard to ignore him whenever they saw him; but every once and awhile, he would march into a painting in one of their offices and ask if his brave services earned him to be moved to another more crowded part of the castle.

As for Mad-Eye, he just couldn't stand the way that idiot, so-called knight talked.

"I don't suppose you would consider removing that blasted picture from the school?" he asked Dumbledore who shrugged in an 'I can't do anything about it way'.

"I'm afraid that there's nothing I can do about it," he informed him. "Sir Cadogan has been there at Hogwarts since it was first built. It wouldn't seem right to remove him from his home… not only that, but none of the portraits can be moved from the castle."

"So in other words," he grumbled, "You're all stuck with him forever. What a wonderful prospect."

"Now," Albus said. "I find that everyone has a purpose. I'm sure that we'll find out what Sir Cadogan's is."

They all rolled their eyes and didn't say anything, not that they need to, their expressions of disbelief said it all.

"Still," Minerva said, "I'm glad that you finally decided to have that picture moved to a different part of the castle so that we don't have to deal with him as often."

**"****Aha!" he yelled, seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"**

"Well, if his private lands are in his painting, then there's no way that they could be trespassing. And anyway, he should be glad that they're there. You know that you don't get to many visitors when you're distracted by the sight of people," Tonks pointed out as all the others laughed.

**They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. **

They couldn't help but laugh again at how ridiculous the knight acted. Maybe this was his purpose? Make others laugh?

**But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass.**

They all laughed even harder. What is it about these books that makes your emotions like a rollercoaster? One minute you're on top, laughing up a storm; and the next you feel like you want to kill someone. Like Malfoy or the Dursleys for instance…

**"****Are you all right?" said Harry, moving closer to the picture.**

"Don't be so polite, Harry," Sirius groaned. "Trust me, you're just going to regret it."

"Like I said many times before," Molly said with a hard look at him. "At least he has manners, and I think that you could learn something from him that."

"Why? It's not like I have anywhere to go," he snorted with a wave of his hand around the dump known only as Grimmauld Place.

**"****Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!"**

**The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face.**

"Yeah, some knight he is," Severus said. "He must've been in Gryffindor."

"Run that by me again, Snape," Sirius threatened.

"I'm only saying that someone that has more nerve than brains is…" Severus began.

"Severus," Albus warned him. Severus gave him a cold and innocent look. Albus decided that he would make sure to have a long conversation with his Potion's Master when they had a chance.

**"****Listen," said Harry, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"**

"He really shouldn't have done that," Kingsley winced and shook his head, "Never ask Sir Cadogan for help."

**"****A quest!" The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"**

They all blinked in astonishment. Did Sir Cadogan actually agree to help someone? Finally Sirius croaked out, "That does it. It's official! Harry can do the impossible." He looked up at the ceiling and asked out loud, "Will the miracles never end!?"

"You mean to tell me that's all it took to get him to help?" Tonks asked grumpily. "Just ask him politely?"

"Sometimes all you have to do is ask," Albus laughed, his laugh was infectious, spreading to them all, feeling much more light-hearted than they have for most of the books. After a few minutes of non-stop laughing, Albus took several breaths and was able to keep reading.

**He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!"**

**And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight.**

**They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead.**

"Stealth was never his strong point," Remus stated knowingly.

"Even without that armor, he didn't have a hope of being quiet," Mad-Eye yawned again, now starting to get bored again. "I sure hope that something exciting happens in Divination. I'm tired of all this little stuff."

"Is it our faults that you get bored so easily?" Tonks asked him with her eyebrows raised.

He then spoke to her as if he was talking to someone dim. "Is it too much to ask for something entertaining to happen?"

"I don't know why I bother talking to you," Tonks said shaking her head with thick sarcasm. "Come on, you're MAD-EYE MOODY! There's never a dull moment with you around."

**"****Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.**

**Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.**

**"****Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"**

"I'm sure they will," Sirius muttered, rolling his own eyes. "When they need someone who's completely mental, they'll know exactly who to call."

**"****Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."**

"At least one of them gets it," Sirius said with a grin.

**They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it.**

**"'****Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" Harry read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"**

**As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet. Everyone got quiet.**

**"****After you," said Ron, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.**

"What happened to that so-called famous Gryffindor bravery?" sneered Severus, propping up on an elbow.

"It's not cowardice, Severus," responded Remus before Sirius could start yelling at him again, "I think that it's just dreading going someplace that they don't want to go—which I'm sure is something that you know as well as the rest of us."

Severus was really wishing that he stayed in bed today. Nothing could be worth this.

**He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.**

"Nice atmosphere," Tonks said smiling. "At least she goes out of her way to make things dramatic."

**Ron appeared at Harry's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers.**

**"****Where is she?" Ron said.**

**A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.**

**"****Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."**

**Harry's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect.**

Albus burst out laughing at that. That had been his first impression of Sybill Trelawney as well; he was glad to see that someone else thought that way. He went on before anyone could ask him what was so funny.

**Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.**

"Yet another real looker," Sirius said sarcastic. "Where does Harry get these descriptions?"

"Makes me wonder what he thought of me when I first met him," Tonks said to herself with a finger on her chin. "I'll have to be sure to ask him the next time I see him."

"Why?" Mad-Eye asked her. "The kid's to polite for his own good. So even if his description of you was bad, he'd just lie so as not to hurt anyone feelings." He said all this in a tone of distaste.

"Why do you act like having manners is a bad thing?" Molly had to ask him.

"Because it is!" he yelled banging his staff on the floor loudly and waving his fist around. "What if you're facing an enemy? Good manners aren't going to save your life!"

They all shook their heads, not even going to humor him by saying anything. Instead, Albus said:

**"****Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat themselves around the same round table.**

**"****Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."**

"That, or she was just too lazy to walk down all those stairs," Tonks said reasonably.

Sirius roared with laughter. "I don't blame her," he said. "Imagine running up and down those stairs every single day? You'd be worn out in no time."

**Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts.**

Minerva rolled her eyes at that as Sirius asked, "Why? All you do is look in a ball or a teacup and say what you think that the person wants to hear."

"I think she means that you have to have the gift or talent for it to be easy?" Arthur asked.

"Actually, the subject material itself isn't that difficult to learn," Albus stated calmly, "You just need to be able to open your mind to all the possibilities."

"Guess that must be why people like Hermione hate that subject," Remus said thoughtfully.

"What makes you say that?" Minerva asked rather stiffly.

"I don't mean anything offensive by it. Just that she's very… she's more book smart. Not that it's a bad thing!" he told her quickly as she opened her mouth. "I taught her myself, and she is an amazing student. Definitely the brightest of her age I've ever met. But she has a difficulty believing anything unless there are facts. Which I think she needs to work out. You need an imagination sometimes."

"True," Tonks chuckled. "Hermione's brilliant no doubt about that… but you have to admit, she's just not that very imaginative."

**I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you… Books can take you only so far in this field…"**

"Sorry Hermione—but books won't help here," Remus said smiling, knowing full well just how much Hermione loved books. Unfortunately, there are some things that you can't just memorize from your textbooks. "She's much too logical for Divination anyway."

**At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject.**

**"****Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your grandmother well?"**

**"****I think so," said Neville tremulously.**

**"****I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly.**

Minerva snorted, "She was wrong on that as well. Augusta would've been just fine."

"How do you know that?" Tonks asked her.

"She's too stubborn to get sick," was Mad-Eye's answer, having met the woman several times before and he had to admit that she impressed him with how tough she was. She was like a bulldog… tough and could take anything thrown at her.

**"****We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man."**

**Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him.**

"What happened with those two?" Tonks just had to blurt out.

"Nothing that I know of," Albus replied.

"Oh, so she was wrong on that too," Minerva said in disgust.

"What's with all the gloom and doom speeches?" Sirius asked. "Why not predict some good news. I'm sure that it would lift everyone's spirits."

"She has a love for misery," was Severus answer as he yawned and shut he's eyes in boredom.

**"****In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. **

"Well, she was right about that. Mostly because she knew that there's a nasty flu _every_ February," Minerva interrupted to comment scathingly.

**I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."**

Albus shook his head with silent laugher and his eyes were twinkling with humor. Every single year, a student had always had enough and would quit around Easter.

"A student leaves every year," Minerva yelled exasperated. "It's not a prediction if you keep saying things that happen every year!"

"So who left that year?" Kingsley asked her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Remus chuckled, and remembered hearing in the hallways how Hermione just walked out halfway through class. He grinned, wishing that he could've been there to see what happened, and just what made Hermione say she had enough.

**A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.**

**"****I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"**

**Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.**

**"****Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."**

**Lavender trembled.**

"She needs to stop scaring them," Molly said disapprovingly. "How can you teach anyone if they're scared of you and the subject?"

They all looked pointedly at Severus who raised his eyebrows and asked, "Might I ask why you are all looking at me?"

"Because you're a miserable excuse for a teacher?" Sirius asked as if he was pointing out what everyone else knew."

"I don't recall asking any of you to lecture me about how I teach," he said coldly.

"How can you teach anyone if you spend the whole class period tormenting your students?!" Sirius snapped at him.

"I thought that I made this clear," Severus sighed. "It's the only way that I can get those dunderheads…"

"Severus," Albus warned again. "Now, even I am getting tired of the way you two argue. Please, for the rest of our sakes if nothing else, save your fighting until after the war is over?"

They both gave him dirty looks but they obliged; Dumbledore was the last person they wanted to hear a lecture from.

**"****Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear," — she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."**

"So now he's going to break it?" Tonks guessed.

"Of course," Severus said, "Longbottom's so clumsy…"

"Severus?" Albus said in a surprisingly hard voice. "Please… remember, no one starts off brilliant."

Severus just looked up at the ceiling in a content way—though if you looked closely, you could see perhaps a little bit of shame in his face.

**Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind… thank you…"**

"That's a self-fulfilling prophecy," Minerva said dismissively with a wave of her hand. "It wouldn't have happened if she hadn't scared him." She then had whispered under her breath, "Why she was ever hired I'll never know."

The only one who heard her was Dumbledore, who flinched slightly. He knew exactly why he was so insistent of having Sybill at the school. It would be too dangerous for her to leave; especially now that Voldemort has returned.

**When Harry and Ron had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over.**

**"****Right," said Ron as they both opened their books at pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"**

**"****A load of soggy brown stuff," said Harry. **

"Pretty much sums the whole class up," Sirius laughed, a grin on his face and caused a few chuckles from the others.

**The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid.**

**"****Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.**

**Harry tried to pull himself together.**

**"****Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross…" He consulted Unfogging the Future. "That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' — sorry about that — but there's a thing that could be the sun. Hang on… that means 'great happiness'… so you're going to suffer but be very happy…"**

"Yes, that sounds like a superb prediction," Kingsley laugh quietly.

"Very interesting," Arthur agreed. "Can't wait to see if that comes true."

**"****You need your Inner Eye tested, if you ask me," said Ron, **

This caused another round of laughter around the room.

"Yes, Harry," Sirius agreed. "I don't think you're cut out for Divination."

**and they both had to stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazed in their direction.**

**"****My turn…" Ron peered into Harry's teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. "There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat," he said. "Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic…"**

**He turned the teacup the other way up.**

**"****But this way it looks more like an acorn… what's that?" He scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. "'A windfall, unexpected gold.' Excellent, you can lend me some. And there's a thing here," he turned the cup again, "that looks like an animal… yeah, if that was its head… it looks like a hippo… no, a sheep…"**

**Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter.**

As did everyone else at how ridiculous this all sounded. Really, this was a class?

"Almost makes me wish I took Divination," Sirius smirked as he lightly punched Remus's arm. "Don't you agree Moony?"

"Not really," Remus disagreed. "I had better things to do with my time then spend it looking at a bunch of tea leaves.

**"****Let me see that, my dear," she said reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch.**

**Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.**

**"****The falcon… my dear, you have a deadly enemy."**

"Harry has a deadly enemy?!" cried Tonks sarcastically. "No way! I did not know that!"

"I would never have guessed…" Sirius said just as sardonically. "Now, the only question is, is it me or Voldemort?"

Remus rolled his eyes; no wonder a student drops that class every year. If she was that obvious… "Of course he has a deadly enemy. Everyone knows about Harry and Voldemort."

"Unfortunately," Sirius grumbled to himself, his smile slowly fading into waves of guilt.

**"****But everyone knows that," said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her.**

**"****Well, they do," said Hermione. "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."**

"You mean to tell me that Hermione just talked back to a teacher?" asked Molly, shocked. That didn't sound like the Hermione she knew… Tonks on the other hand was more impressed and encouraging.

"You tell her Hermione," Tonks cheered her on. "Show her whose boss!"

"If people don't know about Harry and Voldemort by now, then what the hell have they been doing for the last fourteen years?" Sirius asked loudly, thinking of the Ministry with thoughts of deepest disgust.

"The Ministry doesn't waste their time remembering things like that," Arthur said in equal loathing. "It's how bad they can make others look that they care about."

**Harry and Ron stared at her with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her huge eyes to Harry's cup again and continued to turn it.**

**"****The club… an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup…"**

**"****I thought that was a bowler hat," said Ron sheepishly.**

**"****The skull… danger in your path, my dear…"**

Albus closed his eyes in pain. He was willing to bet that he was the only one who truly understood just how true that was. He knew that Harry was going to be forced to go through many more challenges in his young life. One of the main reasons why he when was so reluctant to tell him everything. If he could give Harry a little peace of mind from this war… at least for a little while… it would hopefully make up for any horror that the boy would have to face later on. At least that was what he kept trying to tell himself.

"Why is all Harry's predictions full of danger?" Sirius huffed, darkly.

"Are you really surprised?" Severus asked him pushing that away as if it was worthless.

Sirius was sure that no one would miss Snape… so why was he still hesitating to kill him? Luckily the next line distracted him.

**Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed.**

**There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed.**

**"****My dear boy — my poor dear boy — no — it is kinder not to say — no — don't ask me…"**

"Which means she wants you to ask," Molly said as she turned to Minerva, "I see now why you get annoyed with the class."

Minerva shrugged in annoyance, "I always thought the class was pointless."

"But it's such an easy grade if you predict death all the time," Sirius said.

McGonagall huffed. That was one of the reasons why she hated the class. The students weren't challenged at all, it was pointless.

**"****What is it, Professor?" said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup.**

"My godson's gets enough attention," Sirius grumbled, clearly vexed. "I don't think he wants anymore!"

'_I care to disagree with that,'_ Severus thought to himself.

**"****My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."**

'_No, it's just me,' _Sirius thought to himself.

"That is complete rubbish," Minerva steamed. "Sybill sees death omens everywhere! I can't tell if she's just paranoid or just enjoys scaring the students."

"I go with option number 2," Kingsley stated.

Remus glanced at Sirius and laughed before saying, "Maybe she wasn't completely wrong. Harry was actually was being haunted by the Grim…"

Sirius snorted and said, "She's such a Drama Queen."

"That's a bit rich of you to call someone else a Drama Queen, Padfoot," Remus joked and Sirius let out another bark of laughter.

"Don't hate me for who I am," he said holding up his arms. "I keep life interesting!"

"Well, I can't argue with that logic," Tonks stated as she thought it over.

**"****The what?" said Harry.**

"And Harry ruined her overly dramatic, but very good speech," Tonks giggled.

**He could tell that he wasn't the only one who didn't understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.**

**"****The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn't understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!"**

**Harry's stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts — the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent… Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too. **

"Oh, I bet she did," Minerva sighed. Miss Brown was a smart girl, but so theatrical.

**Everyone was looking at Harry, everyone except Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair.**

**"****I don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.**

They all laughed.

"Go Hermione!" Tonks cheered again, "Tell her!"

**Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike.**

**"****You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."**

"I'm sure that Hermione loved that," Arthur grinned.

**Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side.**

**"****It looks like a Grim if you do this," he said, with his eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, leaning to the left.**

Some of the twinkle faded from Albus's eyes; wishing that they would stop discussing if Harry was going to die or not. He didn't want to hear about it unless absolutely necessary. When he read the next line he couldn't help but smile to himself.

**"****When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" said Harry, taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him.**

**"****I think we will leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. "Yes… please pack away your things…"**

**Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Even Ron was avoiding Harry's eyes.**

"Why?" asked Sirius confused as Arthur and Molly shared sad looks, knowing full well why Ron seemed upset.

**"****Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear," — she pointed at Neville, "you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up."**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding stair in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Divination, they were only just in time.**

**Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, feeling as though he were sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at him, as though he were about to drop dead at any moment. He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi**

"Oh, that had to be the best subject ever!" Sirius claimed as he gave a grin to both Remus and Minerva, that latter seemed to be torn between amusement and disapproval. After all, it was that lesson that gave them all the idea of becoming Animagi to help Remus. Sirius just gave her a proud smile and said, "It really is too bad that you never knew that we became Animagi. We could've brought ourselves in for show and tell!"

"Even so," she said with her eyes narrowed. "I would only increase your grade by a tiny bit. You have to work hard to impress me."

Sirius pretended to pout, but then brightened up and said, "Not that I needed it! I got a 'Outstanding' in that class!"

"And you're still as modest as ever before," Severus said with sarcasm.

"I'm warning you Snivellus…" Sirius growled. "I'm this close," he held up his fingers only a few centimeters apart, "I'm this close to taking you down."

Severus's mouth curled, "I dare you…"

Albus sighed, really getting tired of this, wishing that they could lay aside old grudges. He thought that it was for the best if he just kept reading.

**(wizards who could transform at will into animals), and wasn't even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.**

**"****Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."**

"You sound rather… disappointed, McGonagall," Mad-Eye smirked at the woman.

She gave him a glare and turned her head away from him. "I was more irritated than disappointed," she huffed. "I knew that there was something going on with them all, and I wanted to know what it was."

**Everybody's heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. **

**Then Hermione raised her hand.**

**"****Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and —"**

**"****Ah, of course," said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"**

Albus chuckled as they all looked at his deputy and Molly asked, "So predicting that her students are going to die is normal?"

"Yes," Minerva said harshly. "_Every_ year, she traumatizes some a student by saying that they're going to die some terrible death. I can promise you all that none of them are dead yet! Telling them all that they're going to die or suffer terrible misfortune is just her favorite way to treat a new class."

"I think saying hello would be easier," Tonks spoke up with caused some laughs.

**Everyone stared at her.**

**"Me," said Harry, finally.**

**"****I see," said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. **

"And whose turn is it this year?" Sirius said raising his arms in mock thoughtfulness. "Who else but Harry…?"

**None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues —" Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white.**

**She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney…"**

"Is a fraud," Mad-Eye said with one of his famous twisted grins. "We all know that's what you want to say."

"Yes, I can see that you two are very close," Sirius said in mock sweetness.

She shook her head, wishing that she could box their ears and silently pleaded for Albus to keep reading.

**She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."**

Most of the others laughed at that as Minerva smirked to some extent. Despite what others believed, she did have a sense of humor.

"I always knew that you were funny underneath that hard-nose exterior," Sirius chortled. Tonks snorted at the fierce look the Transfiguration teacher gave him.

**Hermione laughed. Harry felt a bit better. It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney's classroom. **

"Which is why she decorated her room like that," said Sirius dramatically as he held up his wand and caused several streamers and handfuls of glitter to explode out of the tip, "To create… the effect!"

**Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, "But what about Neville's cup?"**

"That was just a self-fulfilling prediction," Remus said calmly. "Neville gets nervous very easily when all the attention is on him and I know that if she hadn't said anything, he would've been fine."

"Of course Longbottom breaks things all the time. So I'm sure that she knew that he would've broken it regardless," Severus said and some of them gave him a dirty look. They were all getting real tired of his constant insults.

**When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch.**

**"****Ron, cheer up," said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."**

**Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.**

**"****Harry," he said, in a low, serious voice, "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"**

"So he saw a stray dog before he came to school," Kingsley said off-handed. "That doesn't prove it's a grim."

**"****Yeah, I have," said Harry. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."**

**Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.**

"Here we go," Sirius groaned so sick-n-tired of hearing this over and over. "It wasn't an omen of death! It was just me!"

"Sirius," Kingsley spoke up, "I know that you hate to hear this, but I don't think that would've been very reassuring to them at the moment."

"Pfffft, right," Sirius moaned, leaning back in his seat, suddenly feeling tired again.

**"****Probably a stray," said Hermione calmly.**

"Yeah a stray that goes by the name Padfoot," Tonks said with a smile.

"Padfoot, the loveable stray…" Sirius muttered to himself with a smirk. "You know, it has a kinda nice ring to it."

**Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.**

**"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's — that's bad," he said. "My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!"**

Arthur sighed unhappily, missing his brother with a painful pang. Bilius always had been a bit odd… but he never thought that he would go that way.

"Bilius died?" Sirius yelled out tactlessly. He met the man several times, and he thought that guy was hilarious. Why is it that all the funny guys go first?

"Yep," Arthur said grimly shutting his eyes sadly as Molly put a comforting hand on her husband's arm and gave Sirius a glare. "He saw a black dog like that and he was found then next morning dead as a doornail."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, putting as much sincerity as he could. Remembering the pain of seeing your brother, or in his case, someone who might've as well have been a brother and a sister dead before your eyes. He still had nightmares of seeing their house and… he gulped… their bodies lying there… He felt like kicking himself again for feeling the urge to cry…

Arthur waved his hand. "It's alright. It's been several years since then. I still miss him terribly but…" he trailed off. They all gave him a few minutes of silence.

"Well, I hate to bring this up," Mad-Eye said when no one made any other sounds. "But I have to point out that it had been a least a month since Potter's seen that _Grim_ and he hasn't keeled over yet, so I think he's out of immediate danger now."

A few shaky laughs later, Albus persistent with the words, suddenly wishing that this chapter would end already.

**"****Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.**

**"****You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"**

"Well good for the rest of us, he's not like most wizards," stated Remus.

**"****There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"**

Molly grinned just a little bit. It was so cute the way that Ron and Hermione would argue like this… _'Kids…'_ she thought fondly.

**Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.**

**"****I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."**

Albus couldn't help but look at Minerva as he read that out. In a lot of ways, Miss Granger reminded him of his Deputy Head.

**"****There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.**

**"****You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.**

**"****Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"**

"Oh, he really shouldn't have said that," Molly said frowning, knowing that Hermione wasn't going to take this well.

**He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.**

**"****If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"**

Most blinked in confusion. Tonks said what everyone but Dumbledore and Minerva were wondering, "But she hasn't been to Arithmancy yet."

Rather than explain, Minerva nudged Albus's boot—trying to let him know that he needed to keep reading, which he understood.

**She snatched up her bag and stalked away.**

**Ron frowned after her.**

**"****What's she talking about?" he said to Harry. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet."**

**Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.**

"I wonder what Hagrid's gonna be doing," Sirius asked as he leaned forward in excitement.

**Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins.**

"Oh great," Sirius shouted mockingly. "More time with the snakes! A class with Malfoy, and the rest of the Slytherins! What a fun lesson this is sure to be!"

"You'd think that you would've learned not to put Gryffindor and Slytherin together in the same class…" Kingsley said to Dumbledore who shrugged. He knew that it probably wasn't the best idea, but the students shouldn't be spending all their time with others who were all in the same Houses as they were. And he had hoped that maybe the Houses would learn to get along in their classes.

**Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about.**

**Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.**

**"****C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"**

"Why do I not like the way he's so eager to show him these creatures?" said Molly in a nervous voice.

"Everything'll be fine," said Tonks in a determine voice. "Dumbledore wouldn't have hired Hagrid if he didn't think he was capable of doing the job. Right?" she turned to ask him.

"Certainly I think he's capable of it," Albus said carefully avoiding the question.

**For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; **

"Oh Merlin," Molly sighed. "Please not the forest… not the forest… don't, don't, please don't take them into the forest…"

**Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.**

**"****Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books —"**

"Easier said than done," Remus stated, thinking of the Monster Book of Monsters.

"Typical of Hagrid to assign a book that no one could open," Sirius said reasonably.

**"****How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.**

**"****Eh?" said Hagrid.**

**"****How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.**

**"****Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.**

**The class all shook their heads.**

**"****Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look —"**

"That's it?!" Tonks yelled in slight disappointment. "All you have to do is stroke them? That is so… so… simple!"

"I think it's oddly appropriate," Remus said thinking it over. It was definitely Hagrid's style—to be able to do something so easy… yet no one would ever figure it out.

**He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.**

"Of course, why didn't they think of that?!" Sirius called out, rolling his eyes. "They should've been able to see that right away!"

**"****Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"**

Sirius groaned, while everyone else looked at with irony. He hated that he sounded like the family that he tried so hard to get away from. "Not… a word," he hissed at them.

**"I — I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.**

**"****Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"**

**"****Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success.**

Albus couldn't help but beam proudly at those kids, glad that they were so supportive of Hagrid.

"He's talking to a teacher like that!" Molly shouted indigently.

"He always tried to show the teachers at least some respect," Tonks said, remembering the suck-up little brat from the last two books.

"Only because doesn't want to get a detention," Arthur explained bitterly. "And because he thinks that will give him some kind of special treatment." That's what spoiled brats did after all…

"Why didn't Hagrid then give him detention?" asked Kingsley frowning. "Or at the very least take points off?"

"I'm afraid that Hagrid has always had a bit of a confidence problem," Albus said sadly. "He never did well under pressure."

**"****Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, "so — so yeh've got yer books an'… an'… now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on…"**

**He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.**

**"****God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him —"**

"I don't know if you remember this, Malfoy," Sirius said scathingly. "But dear daddy can't do anything since he was kicked off the board of governors, so shut the hell up already and just deal with it!"

"I wish Malfoy would just keep his mouth shut for one lesson!" muttered Tonks furiously.

"What do you expect from a Malfoy?" Arthur snapped.

**"****Shut up, Malfoy," Harry repeated.**

**"****Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you —"**

"Dementors are not something to joke about!" Molly shouted out, making them all jump at her suddenly tones. How could anyone actually raise their child to act like this? With all that money, and they couldn't give their only child a few lessons in manners?

**"****Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.**

**Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. **

"Hippogriffs," Sirius said excitedly, his annoyance at Malfoy temporary forgotten. "I love hippogriffs!"

"Yes, I think we figured that out as well, Sirius," Minerva said with the corner of her mouth twitching, but Molly continued looking rather anxious. " Hippogriffs… well, they're fascinating creatures, but isn't that a bit too much so soon? Really, that's a rather dangerous creature to bring to their first ever lesson."

Remus explained to her, "All good teachers make their first lesson especially exciting; it catches the students' interest."

"They'll be fine as long as they listen to Hagrid," Arthur assured her.

"Malfoy? Listen to Hagrid? That'll be a laugh," Sirius spat.

The teachers looked at each other, knowing full well that Malfoy didn't listen—and it caused all sorts of problems for the rest of the school.

**Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.**

**"****Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.**

**"****Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"**

**Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.**

"They are beautiful," Sirius acknowledged with a small smile. He then thought of Buckbeak sitting trapped upstairs, and feeling another pang of sadness, wishing that he could at least let him out once in awhile. What he wouldn't give to be able to fly out on Beaky's back again like he used to… he let out a sigh of longing…

**"****So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"**

**No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.**

"Loyalty to your friends is always a good thing," said Albus approvingly.

"I have to agree that it is one of the best traits you can have," Remus smiled nodding; he had always valued friendship above anything else—and looked up at Sirius for a brief moment before looking back to the book.

"I'm proud that the three of them are showing support for Hagrid," grimaced Molly as she bit her lower lip, "But that might not be the smart thing to do." Nobody argued with her; they all knew how dangerous Hippogriffs could be if provoked.

**"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it mught be the last thing yeh do."**

"Just so we're clear, he did warned them right away," said Sirius positively, looking more relaxed than he had a moment before, and far more relaxed than any of the others still did. "As long they listen to that, I'm sure that they'll be fine."

He failed to notice that the three teachers, and the one former teacher didn't look at him when he said that.

**"****Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."**

"Nice words of comfort there, Hagrid," smiled Mad-Eye with a malicious grin.

"Just a fair warning if you want my opinion," said Remus.

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.**

"Oh, I am not liking this," Molly said worriedly.

"Git," Sirius grumbled, wishing that someone could hurry up and knock that kid down a few pegs.

**"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."**

**"****Right — who wants ter go first?"**

"No one jump at the offer all at once!" Sirius called out sarcastically.

**Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.**

"They're typically free creatures, they prefer to fly around," Remus noted. "I'm not surprised that they don't like being tethered."

"Thank you for that piece of interesting info Professor Moony," Tonks beamed at him, which caused him to turn red and look away. He was so embarrassed that he didn't even hear Sirius leaning down and whispering into Tonks's ear, "I think he likes you."

At those words, her whole head turned red. Her face glowed like a tomato, and her hair was now the same shade as a Gryffindor banner. Grinning rather proud of himself as she also looked away like a little girl with her first crush, he asked, "So what happens next?"

**"****No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.**

**"****I'll do it," said Harry.**

"Yes, that boy is definitely no Slytherin," smirked Severus. "More guts than sense, making him without a doubt a Gryffindor. He would've done nothing but brought shame to my House" Most of them glared at him, but Albus just gave him a light smile.

**There was an intake of breath from behind him, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"**

They all snorted at that line.

"I can't wait to hear what they say when Harry proves them wrong," Sirius said.

**Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence.**

**"****Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then — let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."**

"Buckbeak!" Sirius called out happily—for a second wondering if he could bring the Hippogriff downstairs to listen to the story with them, but that quickly passed. "So this is how they met him! I knew that Hagrid was the one who owned him… but I didn't think that they meet up so soon!"

**He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously.**

"Oh yeah?" yelled Tonks furiously. "Well, I didn't see you raise your hand straight away, Malfoy!" Honestly, the boy thinks that he could do anything, why didn't he prove it already?

**"****Easy now, Harry," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink… Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"**

**Harry's eyes immediately began to water, but he didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye. "Tha's it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Harry… now, bow."**

**Harry didn't feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up.**

"There are those wonderful survivor instincts hard a work," Kingsley observed.

"I like the way he thinks," Mad-Eye approved. "The neck is one of the weakest points of the body. If an enemy hits you there, then you're almost guaranteed dead."

**The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move.**

"Ok," Molly said worriedly, biting her lip. "Now back up!"

**"****Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right — back away, now, Harry, easy does it —"**

**But then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.**

"You go boy!" Tonks clapped as Sirius let out a loud WHOOP!

**"****Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right — yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"**

**Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Harry moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.**

"He always did like Harry," Sirius said, remembering how he would always look up and demand Harry to pet his beak.

"Awww," Tonks cooed. "He's such a sweetheart… oh and Buckbeak's nice too!"

Sirius playfully hit her shoulder as she grinned.

**The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.**

"Gits," Sirius griped again.

**"Righ' then, Harry," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!"**

"WHAT?" screamed out Molly in alarm. "NO! I THINK HE'S DONE QUITE ENOUGH FOR ONE LESSON! HE'S PUSHING IT TOO FAR!"

"That is going a bit far for their first lesson," said Kingsley slowly. "At least save the flying lesson for the next class!"

"I don't know," Mad-Eye laughed. "That sounds attention-grabbing to me!"

"But Harry doesn't know how to fly one of those things!"

"Relax, Harry's a natural when it comes to flying," Sirius said, though he too sounded concerned and was in half a mind to go and chew out Hagrid for allowing this to happen.

"He's a natural on a broom, Sirius," Molly snapped at him. "There's a big difference!"

"How's that difficult?" Severus asked, "The Hippogriff does all the work."

**This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same.**

**"****Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that…"**

**Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered with feathers.**

**"****Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.**

**Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward. It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry knew which one he preferred; the Hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn't dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with its wings.**

"Yeah," Sirius nodded grudgingly, thinking of the many times he flew on Buckbeaks back, and he knew how uncomfortable it was. "I say that broom are a hell more comfortable."

**Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. He just managed to hold on and push himself straight again.**

**"****Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"**

**Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. **

"They just needed a demonstration," Albus smiled. "You always just need that one person willing to take the plunge and go first to show that they can do it."

"Oh, please," Severus said annoyed. "Potter always has to be the one to jump in first."

"Just like Lily had been," Remus said softly to himself, remembering the eager red-head who would always be the first to jump in head-first no matter what was happening.

**Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees.**

"Poor Neville must've been terrified," Remus said sympathetically. "Hippogriffs aren't going to bow back unless you show it that you aren't afraid. They won't respect you unless you can prove yourself to them."

"So it's like the broomsticks from their first year all over again?" Tonks asked brightly.

"Neville, Neville, Neville," Sirius said shaking his head. "Flying is not for you mate."

**Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched.**

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.**

"Poor Buckbeak," Sirius said considerately. "I won't want that slime on my back."

**"****This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to, hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… **

"Oh, so just because Harry could do it, it's easy?" Sirius said in outraged. "Well, if that's the case then why can't he ever catch the Snitch? And remember when he ran away from Voldemort in the forest in first year? Yeah, and if Harry could do it, why didn't he volunteer to step forward to pet Buckbeak? That kid is so full of himself!"

**I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"**

"Why did he have to say that?" Remus groaned. "Well, that just shows how ignorant Malfoy truly is. If the teacher warns you not to insult it, then you shouldn't do it!"

"He deserves whatever Buckbeak does to him if you ask me," Sirius hissed. "If he just paid attention he would have known better."

Molly looked at Dumbledore and asked, "Did he get Hagrid in trouble?"

Albus nodded forlornly, remembering just how miserable Hagrid had been when Buckbeak had been sentence to death.

"What an idiot," Sirius growled.

Not even Severus could disagree with that. That boy thinks he's invincible, and that will get him killed someday if he doesn't learn some humility.

**It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.**

**"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"**

"Dying?" repeated Sirius scathingly. "Oh yes, I'm sure that you can still yell when you're dead! He is such a crybaby."

"Well, hopefully it'll make him learn his lesson," snorted Mad-Eye.

"I doubt it will," Arthur said darkly. "He is Lucius's son after all."

Molly had to ask Dumbledore, "It wasn't serious was it?"

"He'll be fine," Sirius said waving his hand, still thinking that Malfoy deserved everything he got. "Madam Pomfrey's never failed yet. And I did point out that Hagrid told the class that not to insult a Hippogriff! It's his own fault if he wasn't listening."

"He probably planned that so he could get Hagrid fired," Remus said darkly.

"I doubt that he would go that far," Albus said dismally, hating nothing more than when one of his students were injured. "But I think for him, getting Hagrid in trouble was just a bonus."

"Like I said," Sirius said stubbornly. "He's a complete git."

**"****Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me — gotta get him outta here —"**

**Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.**

**Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.**

**"****They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.**

"Oh, get over it!" Tonks sighed, rolling her eyes. "He had been warned!"

**"****It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.**

"You tell him, Dean!" Sirius cheered.

**They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.**

**"****I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.**

**"****You think he'll be all right?" said Hermione nervously.**

**"****Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse.**

Albus sighed again at the mention of that, knowing that Harry will suffer far worse after this as well.

"Yeah, but if he's anything like Lucius was then I'm sure that he'll make himself feel better by milking it for all it's worth," Sirius snarled.

Minerva also seemed to have lost all patience with Malfoy because she said hotly, "It was just a scratch! Poppy told me that it wasn't anything serious at all! But he kept insisting that he was dying!"

Molly's eyes burned as she said furiously, "People out fighting against Voldemort, getting injured and killed, and he's lying around in a school acting like this?!"

"Malfoys…" Mad-Eye spoke gruffly. "They're pathetic."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Mad-Eye," Arthur said coldly.

**"****That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him…"**

"Yeah, typical," Sirius scowled, and some of the others nodded in agreement.

**They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.**

"Oh no. That means he's really beating himself up about it," groaned Kingsley, and Albus nodded grimly, remembering how scared Hagrid had been, thinking that he was going to be fired on his first day.

**"****They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.**

**"****They'd better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.**

"Wow, he must be really upset," Arthur said in a sad attempt at a teasing voice.

"Anyone would be," Minerva said sadly.

"I would never fire Hagrid unless I was left with no other choice," Albus said firmly and others nodded in fierce agreement. It was hard not to love that loveable half-giant.

**Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured.**

**"****Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," said Ron gloomily.**

"I can't argue with that," agreed Minerva wryly.

"Let's see…" Tonks reeled off in an offhanded voice. "First, Harry's told that he's going to croak, and then Malfoy insults and gets attacked by a Hippogriff. Yes, quite the interesting first day."

"Why can't my godson have a safe and peaceful year for a change?" Sirius asked out helplessly, though no one could give him an answer. All of them wondering the same thing…

**They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all three of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.**

**"****There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said suddenly.**

"You see, Headmaster?" exclaimed Snape; still desperately trying to find some small strands of proof that Potter was just like his father. "Potter and his little friends were all sneaking around after hours, on the first day back!"

**Ron looked at his watch.**

**"****If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early…"**

Albus's eyes twinkled as he gave a pointed look towards Snape who scowled and looked like he wished he could break something.

"Yeah, I hope they're able to cheer him up," Tonks said worriedly.

**"****I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him.**

Albus nodded, glad that one of Harry's friends was worried about his safety, because Harry never seems to care much for his own.

Sirius on the other hand…

"I'm NOT going to kill him!" yelled Sirius hotly. "If I was going to don't you think I would've done it that night he ran off from the Dursleys!"

"They were kids, Sirius," Kingsley said soothingly. "They didn't know!"

**"****I'm allowed to walk across the grounds," he said pointedly. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors yet, has he?"**

"I don't need to get past the Dementors," Sirius spat bitterly, remembering with thankfulness that he spent most of his school years exploring around the grounds in the middle of the night. "Secret passageways work much better."

**So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out.**

**The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, "C'min."**

**Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus.**

"Yes, that is how he usually deals with his problems isn't it?" remarked Minerva, wrinkling her nose in distaste and pity. She needed to have a word with him about his drinking problems.

**"'****Spect it's a record," he said thickly, when he recognized them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."**

"I thought you said wouldn't fire him!" Tonks yelled at Albus who said quickly, "I promise you I didn't! I didn't talk to Hagrid until later that night! But Hagrid always has been on the pessimistic side of things."

**"****You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" gasped Hermione.**

**"****Not yet," said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. "But's only a matter o' time, I'n't, after Malfoy…"**

**"****How is he?" said Ron as they all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?"**

"No, actually, I'm the only…" Sirius began.

"You don't even want to finish that sentence," Minerva threatened him and he put his head down, looking disappointed.

**"****Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could," said Hagrid dully, "but he's sayin' it's still agony… covered in bandages… moanin'…"**

"Which means that Malfoy is fine, but he is faking still being in pain just to get Hagrid in trouble," Tonks rumbled folding her arms.

"Rubbish!" snapped Sirius. "Poppy can mend anything." His respect for the healer had always been high ever since he found out about Remus' condition and her role in caring for him month after month, making it possible for him to safely attend Hogwarts.

**"****He's faking it," said Harry at once. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."**

**"****School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," said Hagrid miserably. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later… one flobberworms or summat… Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson's all my fault…"**

"But Flobberworms have to be the dullest creatures on the face of this earth!" Tonks whined.

Kingsley agreed fervently, adding, "And it _did_ make a good first lesson! They won't forget it in a hurry!"

"Well, it was definitely a very impressionable first lesson," Mad-Eye said. "Wish all classes were like that."

Minerva gave him a dirty look before just sighing and not wasting her breath saying anything.

**"****It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly.**

**"****We're witnesses," said Harry. "You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."**

**"****Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.**

"You can't ask for better friends," Kingsley said with a nod. If you can find just one good friend like that, then you know that you've found something truly special about life… find more than one… well, what more can you ask for.

**Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.**

**"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it.**

**"****Ah, maybe she's right," said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash.**

"_Now_ what did he do?" Minerva asked with concern.

**"****What's he done?" said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.**

**"****Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away.**

**Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.**

**"****That's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really —"**

**Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realized he was there.**

**"****WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air.**

Sirius groaned hopelessly, and rolled his eyes. "Here we go again,"

"What?" asked Arthur surprised.

"The whole _'Sirius Black is after Harry'_ thing," said Sirius dully. "He just remembered that I'm out there and I could be trying to get Harry when he's out on the grounds."

"But Harry's not even supposed to know anything's wrong! Why wouldn't he even think about coming around in the evening especially when it's not even dark yet?" Tonks asked.

"True, none of them are supposed to know that Sirius is after Harry, so why would he bring it up? It would probably just make them suspicious if they didn't know. And he should know better than anyone how curious they are," Kingsley said.

"Hagrid's drunk though," Mad-Eye stated. "I think he forgot about that."

"Ok, enough," Albus said in a tired voice. He knew that Hagrid had guessed that Harry, and Ron and Hermione, knew that Sirius had been thought to be after him so he didn't bother trying to hide it. "This chapter is just about done."

"Good," Molly sighed.

**"****YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN, YOU TWO! LETTIN' HIM!"**

"Technically, they shouldn't know about it either," Molly muttered to herself.

**Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door.**

**"****C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"**

"Yes, you are, Hagrid," murmured Remus at once.

"That's the end of the chapter," Albus said shutting the book, but keeping his hand in its place.

"About time too," Tonks said blowing her hair out of her face. "I thought this chapter would never end!"

"That was just the first chapter for today, and I'm already beat," Arthur said rubbing his eyes. "I don't know how much more I can take now."

"Ah, toughen up, Weasley," Mad-Eye said as his eyes rolled lazily. "I liked this chapter. At least it wasn't boring."

"Oh, be quiet for once, Moody," Tonks yawned as Albus looked at the title of the next chapter and beamed at Remus. "Remus?" he asked. "I think that you should be the one to read next."

"Why?" he asked in surprise.

Instead of answering, Dumbledore just passed the book over to him and Remus read out loud curiously, "**Chapter 7: The Boggart in the Wardrobe**."


	11. The Boggart in the Wardrobe

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 9: The Boggart in the Wardrobe**

Instead of answering, Dumbledore just passed the book over to him and Remus read out loud curiously, "**Chapter 7: The Boggart in the Wardrobe**."

Remus stared at the chapter name and the picture that showed a bandaged mummy coming out of the wardrobe and Remus knew without a doubt that this had to about his first class with the third years.

"This sounds like a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson," Sirius cheered happily looking at Remus with excitement in his face. "Yes! YES! YES! Professor Mooney's first lesson!" He punched the air and Remus was starting to turn red again, but this time in pleasure.

When Remus didn't start reading, Sirius asked him playfully, "Something wrong Professor Moony?"

Remus opened his mouth, but for some reason seemed to be having trouble trying to form the words. Tonks then said, "Well? Aren't you going to read, Professor? I've been looking forward to this chapter since we started."

Damn it, why was it he couldn't look at her without blushing anymore?

Minerva smiled at him. If anyone ever asked, she deny it—but Remus had been one of his most favorite students and she had been looking forward to this as well. "I think we're all going to enjoy this chapter," she said and Remus finally started.

**Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. **

"Augh," Sirius said, suddenly annoyed again. "How much do any of you want to bet that he waited until then to show up?"

"No one would be dumb enough to make that bet against you," Tonks said, frowning too at Malfoy's behavior. "That does sound like something a spoiled brat would do."

Severus remembered this day, and he knew that he was in for a lot of complaints. Not that he cared what they thought of him anyway however.

**He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Harry's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle.**

"Oh, sure," Sirius growled sarcastically. "Yes, Malfoy—I'm sure that your life is just so hard and excruciating isn't it? It really puts our sufferings into perspective. God, what a little…"

"Sirius," Albus warned, though he too was feeling disappointed by Malfoy's antics.

**"****How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"**

"Of course it doesn't hurt at all!" Minerva said, shaking her head in disgust that a student would do all this. "Madam Pomfrey fixed it as soon as he came to the Hospital Wing! She wouldn't have let him leave otherwise!"

**"****Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. **

"Of course," Mad-Eye said, rolling his eyes again. "That's why he would be doing it! He's enjoying the attention. Seems like the only way he can get it otherwise," he added in an undertone.

Arthur was also shaking his head in revulsion at how Draco Malfoy was acting. He was finding it hard to believe that anyone could be this pathetic… oh wait, he's Lucius's son, so yes he could believe it.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sirius yelled gripping his hair in agitation. "This is pathetic! So he got scratch on his arm by an angry Hippogriff that he insulted! He deserved it! In just his first two years alone, Harry battled a troll, went into the forest, had his arm broken and then the bones removed before they were all re-grown in one night, pierced by a Basilisk's fang," he shuddered at that thought. Just thinking about the Basilisk made him want to bring Harry back here and never let him out of his sight again. "And to top it all off he had faced Voldemort and escaped with his life SEVERAL times! You didn't see him whining and begging for sympathy for a fake injury once!"

**But Harry saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.**

**"****Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly.**

**Harry and Ron scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said 'settle down' if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention.**

Everyone else glared at Severus, except for Albus who just gave him a severely disappointed look. Wondering why he have to act this way? Why he just couldn't he just learn to break away from his past and move on?

"And I thought that you complained about Dumbledore favoring Harry," Tonks muttered as Sirius gave him an irritated look as though he was a slug and said, "Oily-haired git."

Severus just simply shrugged. Like he said before, he couldn't care less what they thought of him. After all, everyone hating him wasn't anything new to him.

**But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; Snape was head of Slytherin House, and generally favored his own students above all others.**

"What?" he asked calmly to Minerva who was looking stony. "If memory serves me correctly, so do you."

"We've already been over this many times before, Severus," said Minerva in a forced calm voice. "Even if I favored my students, I wouldn't go around and make it obvious. I treat all my students exactly the same. And I punish them if they deserved it, and as far as I can see, you should at least take off ten points for Mr. Malfoy being late."

Once again… who cares what anyone thought of him and his teaching methods.

**They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table.**

"Oh, why's he doing that?" said Molly scathingly. "I highly doubt that the boys will like that."

"What's he planning this time?" Arthur asked with his eyes narrowing, just daring Malfoy to get his son in trouble.

"Who cares?" Sirius asked as he cracked his knuckles. "They should punch him now that he's in close range."

"Always resorting to violence, aren't we Black?" Severus asked coldly just as Minerva pointed out, "But then they're be sure to get in trouble, Sirius. Unlike you, they care about the consequences of their actions."

Sirius grumbled under his breath. Why was it that all the greatest joys in life were wrong? Like punching an bigheaded git? Speaking of bigheaded.

"I thought that you always hated arrogance, Snape," he said frostily.

"I do," Severus snapped back. "And James Potter was, and still is, at the top of that list."

"Bit hypocritical of you though isn't it?" Sirius asked through gritted teeth. "After all, you and Malfoy sure sound like the arrogant ones if you ask me. So if Harry's arrogant in your eyes, I hate to see what you consider modest and polite."

Severus raised his wand, about to jinx Sirius for calling him the arrogant one… comparing him to James Potter…

Albus flipped out his own wand and cried out, "Expelliarmus!"

Severus's wand flew out of his hand and spun through the air before Albus summoned it to him. "Severus," Albus told him in his most commanding voice. "And you too, Sirius," he added as he looked to Sirius who was glaring back at him.

"Please, enough!" Albus said, and finally he sounded like he lost all traces of patience. "You both are acting no different than the same children who often got sent to my office for fighting and dueling each other. I had hoped that you both had matured after all these years. Please, leave your past grudges aside… we have come too far to look back on childish, schoolyard pranks haven't we?"

He said this with such a finality that no one dared to say anything to him. Severus glared at him, his eyes burning dangerously. He just folded his arms and leaned back in his seat, looking like the child that he was just acting like. Sirius was no better. He was leaning his head back on his neck and stared up at the ceiling like he hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention as he began to whistle an innocent sounding tune.

Albus took of his glasses as he rubbed his eyes. He didn't know what to do with these two anymore. He waved his hand at Remus and asked, "Please continue, Remus."

Remus, who was staring at him with his mouth slightly open, blinked in confusion before he remembered why they were all there in the first place.

**"****Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm —"**

"Ahh," Sirius said in a mock thoughtful voice, back to normal. "He's going to get Harry and Ron to do all his work for him. Darn, and just when I thought he couldn't be more of a git. He proves me wrong!"

**"****Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up.**

**Ron went brick red.**

"I don't blame you, Ron," Arthur mumbled under his breath, wondering what he would do if he had to chop up Lucius's roots.

**"****There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy.**

**Malfoy smirked across the table.**

**"****Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."**

"And there's just one of the many differences between them and you, Malfoy," snapped Sirius viciously with his fist clenched tightly, fighting the urge to punch something. "They don't have to sink so low as to make a teacher fight their battles for them! God, this kid just gets more and more irritating every time we read about him."

"You and everyone else," Mad-Eye growled as he yawned; wishing that he could take some of his boredom out on Malfoy and curse him.

**Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes.**

Remus shook his head, knowing how Malfoy was going to react to that and what Severus was going to make them do. "He really shouldn't have done that," he said grimly.

"Why?" Tonks asked him.

"Wait for it…" Sirius said bitterly.

**"****Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."**

**Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair.**

Snape was scowling once again. Potter was going out of his way to make him look bad in this book… but what was really getting to him was that Potter seemed to have every right to think so low of him. He just brushed that off as Potter being rude to his elders.

**"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."**

"WHAT?!" Sirius yelled in outrage at Snape who looked away pointedly. "How is that fair?!"

"I believe that it was quite fair," he answered as he stared unemotionally back at him. "He did mutilate them on purpose."

"But you could've just gotten some new roots from the student cupboard and told him to cut them correctly," Albus offered sadly. "Or have one of Draco's friends do it for him instead of picking on Harry and Ron."

Why was everyone ganging up on him?

**"****But, sir —!"**

**Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces.**

**"****Now," said Snape in his most dangerous voice.**

**Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again.**

**"****And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.**

"If he couldn't make the potion himself, then he shouldn't have bothered to come to class that day," Molly muttered angrily.

Severus had to bite his tongue. If they had come from his background, then they would understand that any real teacher would do this.

**"****Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Harry the look of loathing he always reserved just for him.**

That same look had come to Severus's face now. He had hoped that he could insult Potter for doing a poor job on the shrivelfig, however, the boy must've seen how he acted with Weasley and knew better. He had skin it annoyingly perfect.

"Severus that really isn't fair, Harry hasn't done a thing to you," Molly said heatedly.

"I care to disagree with that," Severus said coolly.

"Name one thing that he's done to deserve all this," Sirius snapped. "And I'm talking about _before_ he arrived at school that is! What did he do to make you hate him so much before he even got there?"

"I have to agree with that," Remus scolded him. "Harry didn't, and still doesn't deserve your loathing. Why can't you realize that Harry isn't James?"

"I do not hate the boy," Severus said and they looked at him in disbelief. "I merely hate the fact that he exists."

Forgetting all about Dumbledore's warning, Sirius stood up and pulled out his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" came Albus's voice and Sirius's wand flew out of his hand again.

"DUMBLEDORE!" Sirius screamed, rounding on him… but his hatred all but disappeared when he saw the burning anger on his face. Like he was giving off heat, he directed it all to Severus. "Severus," he said in a surprisingly calm tone. "I cannot make you change your mind about Harry or James… but do you actually have to say that you regret that he had ever been born?"

Severus shrugged. "I say what I believe, Headmaster," was all he said, and fell silent.

Albus gave him a look which clearly said that they were going to have a long talk about this later. Remus gave him a cold stare before deciding that arguing was pointless—but then… he grinned slightly. If this really was his first lesson with the third years… then he was sure that Severus was going to enjoy this chapter…

**Harry took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Ron began trying to repair the damage to the roots he now had to use. Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Malfoy without speaking. Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever.**

"Oh, I'd love to knock that smirk off that fat face of yours," snarled Sirius under his breath so that no one but Remus heard him. That brat was no different than Snape, no wonder Snape liked him. "And beat Snape to death while I'm at it…" he added in an afterthought.

**"****Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly.**

"At least they have friends!" Sirius couldn't help but call out. "Malfoy only has funkies."

"You mean like how you used to be?" Severus asked him.

"I'm warning you…"

Everyone else groaned, completely fed up with this pointless arguing. Remus nudged Sirius's foot and gave him a silencing look, silently asking him to be quiet so that he could go on.

**"****None of your business," said Ron jerkily, without looking up.**

**"****I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about my injury —"**

"Why can't he just shut up already?!" Tonks said exasperated.

"Who the hell cares about what your daddy thinks?" Sirius snarled folded his arms grumpily.

"Even though old Lucius was kicked off a school governor," Mad-Eye said slowly, "He's still has an unusual control over them." He let out a bitter laugh. "Looks like he hasn't learned his lesson. He's still as corrupted, dangerous, and still up to his same old a tricks…"

"Guess the rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Sirius whispered.

**"****Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Ron.**

"I kinda like the sound of that," remarked Tonks, grinning cheekily as Severus stared at her irritably and she did the most mature thing she could and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Come on, do it already, Ron!" Sirius said enthusiastically. "I will personally shake the hand of the person who finally snaps and punches his lights out!"

"Not going to happen, Sirius," Minerva told him sternly.

**"– ****he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this" — he gave a huge, fake sigh — "who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?"**

"Lasting?" Remus repeated out loud very slowly as if he didn't understand what it meant.

"Lasting injury?!" snarled Molly incredulously. "If it was that serious then he would've been sent to St. Mungo's! He wouldn't even be allowed to leave the Hospital Wing if it wasn't already healed."

"I bet he would've recovered very quickly if Ron did snap and attacked him," Arthur said hotly.

"Wow. I knew that the kid couldn't fight his battles on his own, but come on! Getting the whole Ministry involved for doing something stupid?" Sirius laughed with exasperation. "It's obvious why he's doing this! He's trying to get Hagrid in trouble and fired. Well, congratulations Malfoy! You just took pathetic to a whole new level!"

Even Severus seemed to be embarrassed at how his Slytherin was begging for attention. But he just pushed that aside as well.

**"****So that's why you're putting it on," said Harry, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar because his hand was shaking in anger, "To try to get Hagrid fired."**

**"****Well," said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper, "partly, Potter. But there are other benefits too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me."**

"Oh, suck it up and do it yourself!" barked Mad-Eye making them all jump. He had it up to _here_ with hearing this brat whine. "That boy won't last two seconds in a real fight."

"Unless, he get's daddy to do it for him," Sirius said sarcastically. "He always goes straight to him whenever something happens that he doesn't like."

"Doubt that would do much good," Arthur said clenching and unclenching his fists, longing to show up Malfoy senor. "Lucius couldn't duel to save his life!"

**A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble. **

"Nothing new there," Snape muttered under his breath, making sure that the others couldn't hear his comment. Longbottom must've melted his cauldrons at least once a week; that boy couldn't brew a potion even if his life depended on it.

**Neville regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse.**

Albus glanced at Snape and he could see that the Headmaster was planning on giving him another one of his talks about learning to leave the past behind. Easy for someone like him to say. There are some things in this world that could never be forgiven.

But his brooding was interrupted when Tonks started clapping. "Good for you, Snape" she drawled, causing them all to stare at her in confusion. "I mean, you managed to successfully terrify a thirteen year old boy! Not too many people can say they've done that! Congratulations."

Severus was just wishing that he could start poisoning her and her damn cousin when Kingsley suddenly asked him, "How can you expect them to do well if you're breathing down their necks? You always say that you can't brew your potions as well as you can if you have someone looking over your shoulder? I'm sure that they would improve greatly if you left them alone and offered occasional advice."

"Again," Severus said to him, "I didn't ask you for your opinions."

**His potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned —**

**"****Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see.**** "****Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one cat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"**

"Oh, I don't know," Sirius said sarcastically still sneering at Snape like he was something disgusting found on the side of the road. "Maybe if you would stop insulting him and actually taught him what he was supposed to be doing?"

Albus gave Snape a very disappointed and even slightly angry—he had always known that Severus wasn't his students favorite teacher, but did he have to openly insult and mock them in front of everyone?

"That's not fair, Severus," Albus frowned. "So potions isn't the boy's strong point. You know that could easily be corrected with enough patience."

"Can't you give the kid a break?" Tonks said in agreement. "Just leave him alone so he can work, and I don't see you insulting any of your Slytherins? I'm sure that they can't all be world famous potioners? Aren't you supposed to be the _'teacher'_," she said that with air quotations in the air. "Isn't that what you're paid to do?"

"I have a reason for my methods," Severus said looking around at them all as if daring them to contradict him. Almost everyone scoffed at that, and he knew that he wasn't getting anywhere with this.

He supposed that he should be glad that he wasn't the one reading this chapter.

**Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears.**

**"****Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right —"**

**"****I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. **

"She wasn't showing off. She just wanted to help," Remus said, getting angry with him.

"Students are allowed to help each other as long as they aren't taking their exams," said Minerva. "Denying that is only making it harder for them."

"Well, they won't all be having Granger there to hold their hands now are they?" Severus asked her.

"Don't give us that!" Sirius snapped at him. "I bet that you let the Slytherins work together. You spend all your time making Harry, Neville, Hermione, and everyone else who isn't in Slytherin look bad!"

"I prefer to think of it as teaching them all some humility," he answered.

"WHAT?!" Sirius, Tonks, and Molly all screamed at him.

"HUMILITY?!" Tonks yelled. "Then why not teach it to those pampered snakes of yours? If there's anyone out there who needs it is them!"

"I don't see it," Severus said calmly. "I personally think that the Gryffindors all need to be knocked down a peg or…"

"Severus," Albus warned him. "I don't want to hear you finish that sentence."

**"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."**

Minerva was beside herself with anger. It was one thing to bully a student; but to threaten to poison their pet at the same time?

"Are you trying to traumatize the poor boy?!" screeched Molly, feeling so sorry for Neville.

Sirius hissed, "That's not going to help anything. That's just going to make him worry more so that there's no way that he could get it right!"

"Besides," Remus added. "How do you expect him to do it right if you don't tell him what he was doing wrong?"

"I thought that you wanted me to start leaving them alone?" he asked his silkily.

"JUST READ!" Mad-Eye barked, getting sick of all these interruptions. He looked so dangerous that Remus quickly went on to keep him happy.

**Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear.**

**"****Help me!" he moaned to Hermione.**

**"Hey, Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow Harry's brass scales, "have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning — they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."**

Sirius sighed, his fury with Snape slowly fading. _'Great, here we go again,'_ he thought miserably, resigning himself to the worse.

**"****Where?" said Harry and Ron quickly. On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely.**

**"****Not too far from here," said Seamus, who looked excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone."**

"I remember that woman," Sirius said thinking it over.

"You let her see you?!" Molly scolded. "Sirius, I know that you're reckless but…"

"I didn't mean for her to see me!" he said loudly. "I had fleas that day! They're bloody murder and I had to get them off me!"

"I really didn't need to know that," Minerva said pinching the bridge of her nose.

Snape rolled his eyes and sneered at the Ministry's stupidity. If the Law Enforcement wasn't made up of a bunch of hopeless morons, then Black would've been caught and been carted off to prison already. As far as he was concerned, Black was far from innocent.

**"****Not too far from here…" Ron repeated, looking significantly at Harry. He turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely. "What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?"**

"Right, leave them alone and they'll leave you alone," Sirius said. "Though I doubt that will ever happen."

**But Malfoy's eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed Harry. He leaned across the table.**

**"****Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"**

"Yes, because Harry's really stupid enough to go after a guy he thinks is going to kill him. Not that you are, Padfoot," Remus added when he noticed Sirius's pale complexion.

"Not that Harry hasn't done that before," Tonks said quietly. "Harry is almost as reckless as you are Sirius."

"Important word here is, almost," Remus approved as Sirius looked away from them with his nose in the air.

**"****Yeah, that's right," said Harry offhandedly.**

**Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile.**

**"****Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him."**

**"****What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Ron roughly.**

**"****Don't you know, Potter?" breathed Malfoy, his pale eyes narrowed.**

**"****Know what?"**

Sirius began to howl. How on earth could that little ferret know that he was Harry's godfather? "I see where this is going. Malfoy's going to tell him something about me which will make him hate me even more. I mean, he obviously knows the relationship between us."

"He was probably told by Narcissa," Molly replied, her feelings of anger towards the only female Malfoy growing.

"Why is it that everyone, especially his enemies," Mad-Eye stated suddenly, "Seem to know more about Potter than he does?"

Tonks shuddered at the thought. "I don't see how he could stand that!"

'_And it's all because of me,'_ Sirius thought, his once handsome face fell back into one of total despair. He was grateful that Remus went on.

**Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh.**

**"****Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself."**

**"****What are you talking about?" said Harry angrily, but at that moment Snape called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's…"**

**Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. **

"What horrible kids," Molly said furiously. How could anyone actually want to see someone risk having their pet poisoned?

**Hermione was muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see.**

"Oh, no, I saw what she was doing," sneered Snape, which caused Minerva to glare at him.

"That was cruel, Severus," she told him harshly. "Longbottom didn't do anything to deserve that!

"It got him to do his work didn't it? And the potion was made correctly," he told her. "Thanks to Miss Granger babying him of course."

"Do you have to be such an unpleasant person?" Tonks had to ask him as Sirius snorted and a muscle was going in Sirius's jaw.

**Harry and Ron packed away their unused ingredients and went to wash their hands and ladles in the stone basin in the corner.**

**"****What did Malfoy mean?" Harry muttered to Ron as he stuck his hands under the icy jet that poured from the gargoyle's mouth "Why would I want revenge on Black? He hasn't done anything to me — yet."**

"But I will now," Sirius said determinedly. It was true that he didn't do anything to Harry… but that's the whole problem. He didn't do anything to protect him, and just left him to suffer and fight on his own. What a failure he was.

**"****He's making it up," said Ron savagely. "He's trying to make you do something stupid…"**

'_Which Potter is known for doing on his own,'_ Severus thought to himself, not in the mood to listen to their pointless lectures.

**The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron.**

**"****Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."**

"I can't believe you'd even thought of doing that," Minerva frowned at him as if she saw him for the first time.

"You have got to be the biggest prat I've ever seen!" stormed Sirius

"Nah, I've met worse," Mad-Eye spoke up and for some reason; they saw that his magical eye was focused on Dumbledore, who in response, didn't even look up at him. His eyes fixed on the book.

**The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. **

"Like Molly said," Arthur spat. "Horrid kids."

**Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat.**

**There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm.**

"Well, we see why they're called shrinking potions," Tonks said. "I was never good at potions myself. But I have to wonder, do they remember everything from their adulthood, or do they start over again?"

"Yes, they do, remember," Albus answered her smiling. "But the potion only last for a short time before they age to their proper ages."

**The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown.**

**"****Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. **

"WHAT?" everyone but Dumbledore, who just sighed unhappily, cried out in outrage.

**"I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."**

Snape refused to meet anyone's else's eye, particularly the sadden looking Dumbledore. Sirius was cracking his knuckles—using every last bit of self-control he had to prevent himself from punching Snape, but Remus's hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing anything else. Though, he too was looking upset.

"I said it many times before, and I'm going to keep saying it!" Sirius growled, glaring from the book to Snape. "You're the world's biggest git! Tell, me how is that remotely fair?!"

"Ever hear the saying that life isn't fair?" Severus asked him.

"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was correct?" muttered Tonks furiously. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any lower! No wonder so many students want to quit Potions!"

"I did tell Miss Granger not to help him," Severus said determining.

"You can't prove Hermione helped him!" added Molly angrily. "And besides, what would you have done if you were him? You were going to poison Neville's pet if he got it wrong! He needed the help that you wouldn't give him!"

"I did warn them all," he told them stubbornly.

"And you wonder why no one likes you," Sirius hissed at him just as Remus started so that Severus didn't have time to reply.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the steps to the entrance hall. Harry was still thinking about what Malfoy had said, while Ron was seething about Snape.**

**"****Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!"**

"Like I would've believed that Longbottom could've done it on his own," Severus said silkily.

"If you didn't think that he could've done it on his own, then why did you threaten to poison his toad?" Kingsley asked him with a dark frown.

"Do I lecture any of you how you do things?" he had to ask them all.

"Then stop acting like a jerk!" Tonks snapped at him, her hair turning red in her anger.

**Hermione didn't answer. Ron looked around.**

**"****Where is she?"**

**Harry turned too. They were at the top of the steps now, watching the rest of the class pass them, heading for the Great Hall and lunch.**

"What?" half of them asked while people like Albus, Minerva, Kingsley, and Mad-Eye only nodded in understanding.

"I thought she left with them?" said Arthur, confused while Severus was slowly starting to realize what was going on here and looked furious at McGonagall. And she had the gull to lecture him about showing favoritism.

**"****She was right behind us," said Ron, frowning.**

**Malfoy passed them, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked at Harry and disappeared.**

**"****There she is," said Harry.**

**Hermione was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; one hand clutched her bag, the other seemed to be tucking something down the front of her robes.**

'_Hiding her time-turner,'_ Kingsley thought to himself with a tiny smirk.

"Hermione is tucking something into her robes?" Tonks said in a teasing tone. "We sure it's not a letter from Lockhart?"

They all burst out laughing at that; and Tonks was suddenly glad that she was here to help lighten the mood.

**"****How did you do that?" said Ron.**

**"****What?" said Hermione, joining them.**

**"****One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again."**

**"****What?" Hermione looked slightly confused. "Oh — I had to go back for something. Oh no —"**

**A seam had split on Hermione's bag. Harry wasn't surprised; he could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books.**

**"****Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked her.**

**"****You know how many subjects I'm taking," said Hermione breathlessly. "Couldn't hold these for me, could you?"**

"More than possible," muttered Remus as he also began to become suspicious to what was happening.

**"****But —" Ron was turning over the books she had handed him, looking at the covers. "You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon."**

"Which is going to be fantastic!" Sirius grinned, looking excited whilst Remus simply shook his head with a small and rather nervous smile. "We'll get to see Professor Moony in action soon."

**"****Oh yes," said Hermione vaguely, but she packed all the books back into her bag just the same.**

**"****I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving," she added, and she marched off toward the Great Hall.**

"Yep, she's keeping something from them," said Sirius wisely, with a pointed look at Remus. The werewolf came up with all sorts of terrible excuses to hide his _'furry little problem,'_ and he knew better than anyone to recognize when someone was hiding something.

**"****D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?" Ron asked Harry.**

**Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. **

"Your late?" chided Sirius mockingly, "Tut tut, Professor Moony."

"I was nervous," Remus told them. "And I had to get everything ready for class. I have to give you credit," he turned to Minerva. "I never fully appreciated just how hard you had to plan and work for all your classes. It couldn't have been easy—especially with four boys that you called the bane of your existence?"

She gave him one of her rare smiles and said, "Well, there was never a dull moment with all of you in my class, though I can't deny that I dreaded having you all enter my classroom."

"Ah, that's got to be the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Minerva," Sirius grinned and she rolled her eyes and fought a laugh.

**They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.**

"Good," Tonks and Sirius said simultaneously as Remus chuckled to himself. One of the many things he loved about teaching at Hogwarts—the decent meals three times a day.

"I'm glad that someone was making sure that you were taking care of yourself, Moony," Tonks said sincerely. Remus smiled at her, and said, "Madam Pomfrey made sure that I was eating otherwise she never would let me leave the Hospital Wing. But I assure you that I was…" he re-read the line, "_'looking healthier'_ because the full moon was over.

"Yeah, you always did look like hell after those nights," Sirius declared, knowing better then anyone just how bad his old friend looked from his monthly transformations.

"Thanks, Sirius," Remus said sarcastically with his eyebrows raised. "Your words do me so much good."

He clapped him on the shoulder. "It's what I'm here for!"

**"****Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."**

Sirius couldn't help himself. "This lesson is gonna be awesome," he cried out as he rubbed his hands together eagerly. "A practical for your first class? Remus, I like the sound of your class already!"

"I have to agree," commented Albus with a significant smile to the ex-teacher. "Well done, Professor Lupin. It's not hard to believe that you were their favorite teacher that year." Remus looked back at him and smiled, surprisingly pleased at the praise.

**A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.**

"Professor Moony will definitely do ten times better than that," Sirius said, gently punching Remus's shoulder. "And he didn't have to use a Memory Charm on anyone to show all the amazing things he done."

**"****Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."**

**Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.**

**Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.**

**"****Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin —"**

Remus shook his head. "He knows that I always hated that song."

Sirius burst out laughing. "He's still singing it?! I can't believe he still remembered it after all this time!"

"He would," Remus told him with a pointed look. "After all, you're the one who taught it to him!"

"You deserved it, and you know it!" Sirius chortled as everyone else looked confused and Remus explained.

"He taught Peeves that because I refused to let him copy my Charms homework in our second-year. Ever since, every single time he sees me, he starts singing it."

"Wow," Tonks said as she looked at Sirius. "So even back then, you were obnoxious and mean."

"What?!" he yelled angrily, until he saw that Tonks was laughing. "I'm kidding," she said quickly as she waved her hand at him. "I'm just yanking your wand."

**Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, **

"I think, Potter means, always is," Minerva said knowingly.

**Peeves usually showed some respect toward the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.**

"You mean you can take a joke?" Tonks asked Remus jokingly. "You always seemed so serious."

"No, I'm Sirius," Sirius said seriously which earned himself a punch in the shoulder.

"OWWW!" he cried rubbing his sore arm. "I forgot how hard you can punch!"

"You should stop with that dumb joke," Tonks said rolling her eyes. "For a joke to get old, it's got to be funny in the first place!"

**"****I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms."**

"Yes, this is definitely the Moony we all know and love," Sirius said happily. "He always tries to reason with someone first—and if he can't—they regret it later on."

"You would know wouldn't you, Padfoot?" Remus asked him his forehead wrinkling.

**Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker, a bad-tempered, failed wizard who waged a constant war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry.**

**Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.**

**"****This is a useful little spell," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."**

**He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves.**

"I never heard of that spell," Minerva exclaimed as she looked at him.

"That's because it's Professor Moony's own invention," Sirius grinned at the memory. "Remember how popular it was to create your own spells when we were still at school? Remus invented it back in our sixth year."

"That's impressive," Kingsley told him. Remus was practically glowing red from all the praise, feeling so glad to be with friends… old and new ones again.

**With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.**

"I see why you are their choice, Professor Moony," Tonks shout out with a laugh. "I would too if that was me!"

**"****Cool, sir!" said Dean Thomas in amazement.**

**"****Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. "Shall we proceed?"**

**They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. **

"Yet another example of why you're such a good teacher," Kingsley said approvingly "You call them by their first names."

"You made an amazing teacher," Albus stated as everyone except for Severus agreed with him.

"Maybe you can teach the potion's git a thing or two," Sirius offered, and Severus was practically foaming at the mouth with fury.

**He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.**

**"****Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.**

**The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. **

"Oh, are you going to practice jinxes on Snape?" cried out Sirius with enthusiasm. "That's my idea of a wonderful class!"

"SHUT IT, BLACK!" Severus roared, his eye twitching horribly as if just looking at the man made him angry. He looked so furious at him, that even Sirius looked briefly worried. But that quickly faded as he just gave him a malevolence grin. "Something wrong, Severus?" he asked, for once, feeling on top of the world.

"Down boy," Remus warned him as he went back to the book, curious to how everyone thought of his first class.

**As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. **

"So?" barked Minerva as she narrowed her eyes in anger.

"I just thought that I should warn him about Longbottom's inability to do anything too complicated for him…"

"It's bad enough you pick on him in Potions, but you're doing it in front of other teachers?!" said Molly angrily.

**I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."**

Albus frowned at Snape who avoided looking at him.

Molly's mouth had dropped open, feeling her pity for the boy rise. "Did you really feel the need to say that?" she remarked, speaking for the whole room.

"I can see why he has such low self-confidence," Minerva said coldly. "Do you have to treat anyone who isn't in your House like their worthless?"

He held up his arms and said, "So that's what I get for trying to warn someone of a student's complete stupidity?"

Albus suddenly said, with no trace of anger in his voice, but his tone was terrifying, "Severus. If memory serves me correctly, isn't this how you used to be like when you were still attending? I wouldn't criticize someone else like that if I were you."

That shut Severus up. He thought back to the lonely little boy that he used to be… it was true that he lacked self-confidence as well when he was still attending, but he at least got good grades. Whereas Longbottom couldn't even do that right! No, he was nothing like that lazy child!

**Neville went scarlet. Harry glared at Snape; it was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers.**

Albus gave Snape a significant look to show that he agreed with Harry's thought. Severus grunted bitterly—of course Dumbledore would take Potter's side! He always did… even when he knew that it was Potter's fault.

**Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows.**

**"****I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."**

"That's really going to help with his confidence Remus," Molly told him. "I'm glad that there's someone who's looking out for him."

Severus' eyes narrowed and he said almost jerkily, "This better not be about what I think it is, Lupin."

"Oh, I'm afraid that this is what you think it is," Remus replied with a smile. Most of them all looked confused, except for Albus and Minerva, who were trying to hide their laughter, but failing.

Severus glared at them both, before looking back at Remus with the utmost loathing as the book read out:

**Neville's face went, if possible, even redder. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap.**

**"****Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.**

**"****Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there."**

"But they probably don't know what a Boggart is, Professor," Kingsley said lightly. "So I think that they would worry."

"They won't be for much longer," Remus told him grinning.

**Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.**

**"****Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks — I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice.**

**"****So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?"**

**Hermione put up her hand.**

**"****It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."**

**"****Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. **

"Awww, Moony, I think she likes you," cooed Sirius, batting his eyelashes.

Surprisingly enough, it was Tonks who yelled out, "Shut up!"

She turned crimson red and buried her face in her hands, too embarrassed to look at anyone. Remus wasn't sure what to say to that until Sirius leaned in and whispered, "If that's not a sign that she like you, then I don't know what is."

Remus looked like he was close to slapping him upside the head until Severus suddenly said in a sarcastic tone, "And there Granger goes—showing off again."

Minerva now looked like she wanted to slap him now. "So she studies, I would think that you've been pleased to have such a brilliant student."

Remus started out rather quickly, so that they couldn't get into a duel right now. Though, Snape had worn all their patience away.

**"So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.**

"That's not true," Mad-Eye muttered abruptly.

"What's not true?" Molly asked him confused, wondering what he was talking about now.

"I know what a Boggart looks like," he answered as he looked at Remus. "And I know that you knew that."

"Well that would be going completely off of topic," Remus chuckled slightly.

"On a happier note," Albus said sounding more cheerful than he had been all chapter, "I think that this is truly an useful way to have them all face their worst fears. There's no better way than to get over something you're scared of then by laughing at it. This is truly an amazing first lesson for you to give them."

Severus gashed his teeth together. Why was it that Lupin couldn't read one sentence without being praised? He was getting sick of hearing them all go on about it.

**"****This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"**

**Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, was very off-putting, but Harry had a go.**

**"Er — because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"**

**"****Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed.**

"Perfect," Sirius beamed proudly.

"Harry does have the answers sometimes," Arthur chuckled. "But there's no point in answering because Hermione wouldn't like it."

**"****It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake — tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.**

"That was in our third-year class, wasn't it?" Sirius said reminiscently. "One of our most memorable events there. And we didn't even have to do anything!"

"What happened?" Kingsley asked interested.

"A pretty girl in class, Mary, she was terrified of slugs and Wormtail…" Remus said, though he said Wormtail's name a little harsher than he intended, he went on, still sounding cheerful, "Was afraid of the corpse."

"You had to have been there," Remus nodded at the memory.

"**The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.**

**"****We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please… riddikulus!"**

**"Riddikulus!" said the class together.**

**"****Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."**

**The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows.**

**"****Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"**

**Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.**

"That's a rather personal question don't you think?" Kingsley teased slightly.

"I needed to know to show them all a demonstration," Remus shrugged. "And Neville did fantastically I must say."

**"I didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.**

**Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."**

"I don't blame you one bit, Neville," Sirius said gravely. "Your fear is real bad, frightful, too scary to even say, ugly, awful… but enough about Snape's face."

"SHUT UP!" Severus yelled.

"I wonder what Professor Moony will come up with," Tonks said, grinning and leaning in to hear more.

"I'm sure that you'll love it," Remus said, fighting a smile as Severus was looking murderous.

"Oh, this is going to be GOOD!" Sirius laughed, whereas Severus scowled at them all, wishing that this chapter would hurry up and end already so that they could get to the parts where Black was insulted. Those chapters are the only reason he's sitting there and taking it all.

**Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful.**

**"****Professor Snape… hmmm… Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"**

Mad-Eye burst out laughing at that sentence, immediately catching on to what was about to happen.

"Remus, I can't believe you did that," Molly said sternly, but she couldn't prevent herself from laughing.

**"****Er — yes," said Neville nervously. "But — I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either."**

"Wise," Mad-Eye said wryly. "That woman is tougher than dragon scales."

"It won't," Severus glowered, his hands itching to take his wand back from Dumbledore and curse Lupin, or at least poison him.

Remus looked back, with an innocent looking expression just as Sirius, who had the biggest smirk yet, leaned over to try and read over his shoulder, "What're you up to, Remus?"

Rather than answer, he continued.

**"****No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"**

**Neville looked startled, but said, "Well… always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress… green, normally… and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."**

"What are you gonna try and get Neville to do, Remus?" asked Tonks, as Sirius had to hold onto his sides from laughing, unable to contain himself. "To have the Snape Boggart wear those same clothes or…"

Mad-Eye was grinning nastily, and even Minerva was covering her mouth in an attempt to smother her own laughter. Remus shrugged apologetically, though a tiny smug smile was present on his face.

**"****And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin.**

**"****A big red one," said Neville.**

**"****Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"**

**"****Yes," said Neville uncertainty, plainly wondering what was coming next.**

**"****When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "And you will raise your wand — thus — and cry 'Riddikulus' — and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."**

Sirius didn't think that he could laugh any harder but he managed it. He slid down onto the floor and beat it with his fists. And the only reason that he wasn't dead right now was that Albus still had Severus's wand.

"Now Severus, after your treatment of the poor boy for those last two years—it does seem fair and you do deserve it," the Headmaster said still smiling. Snape crossed his arms and glared at the smiling, twinkling eyed old man.

"Oh, I only wish I could've seen it," Sirius once he finished laughing hysterically for a couple minutes. "I would've killed to have seen it!"

"It really was an interesting sight you missed out there," Remus teased and Sirius gave him a jealous look.

**There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently.**

**"****If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical…"**

**The room went quiet. Harry thought… What scared him most in the world?**

**His first thought was Lord Voldemort — a Voldemort returned to full strength. But before he had even started to plan a possible counterattack on a Boggart-Voldemort,**

"Those kids would all panic if he showed up like that," Molly shuddered, not liking that idea. "And is there a counterattack on a Boggart-Voldemort?! I can't think of one!"

"That's because I really don't think there is one," Mad-Eye said grudgingly. "You would have to have quite the imagination.

**a horrible image came floating to the surface of his mind…**

**A rotting, glistening hand, slithering back beneath a black cloak… a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth… then a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning…**

Sirius shuddered and Severus raise an eyebrow, although not that he would ever have admitted it to anyone, he was secretly impressed what Potter was afraid of."

"Dementors," Sirius mumbled, feeling as though ice has slipped into his stomach.

"He's most afraid of the Dementors, that's impressive," Kingsley said thinking it over.

"That means his greatest fear is fear itself," Remus deducted, nodding.

"Very wise for someone so young," Albus muttered, his eyes sparkling with a hint of pride.

**Harry shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Ron was muttering to himself, "Take its legs off." Harry was sure he knew what that was about. Ron's greatest fear was spiders.**

"With good reason too," Minerva said shivering at the thought of facing Acromantulas in the forest. She didn't blame him one bit for fearing spiders.

**"****Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin.**

**Harry felt a lurch of fear. He wasn't ready. How could you make a Dementor less frightening? But he didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves.**

**"****Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward… Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot —"**

**They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.**

**"****On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One — two — three —now!"**

**A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, **

Severus frowned at the description while others snorted.

**Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.**

**Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.**

"Now, _I'm_ the one who's scared. He sounds even worse then he usually is," teased Sirius, holding his breath, desperate to hear more.

"I'm in the room, Black!"

**"****R — r — riddikulus! " squeaked Neville.**

**There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.**

The room was silent as they absorbed what had just been said, then the whole room exploded in a burst of laughter. Anyone who was listening outside the room might have thought there was an explosion with how loud it was. Everyone, except for Snape that is, who was looking ready to kill, was laughing so hard that tears of mirth were clouding their visions. The hilarity lasted for a few minutes as Snape was glaring all around at them all menacingly, his black eyes narrowed.

"Way to go, Neville!" Sirius cheered, clapping his hands, before holding them up to form a square with his fingers and was looking through them at Snape as if he was looking at a picture, "You know? I think that would be a good look for you, Snape."

"If you're all done," Severus said stiffly, his fingernails digging into his palms. Finally, once everyone had settled down, Remus read on though there was a slight quiver in his voice.

**There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"**

**Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising —**

**"****Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.**

**A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.**

"Come on," Mad-Eye said, looking disappointed. "You can come up with something better than that!"

**"****Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.**

**Seamus darted past Parvati.**

**Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floorlength black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face — a banshee. **

"A banshee?" asked Sirius with heavy sarcasm. "I thought that it was describing my dear old Mum! It sounded just like her!"

"Can't argue with you on that," Tonks said thinking of the ugly portrait downstairs.

**She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end — "Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.**

**The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.**

"If only that happened to Mum," Sirius said with a dreamy look in his eyes. "I would've given anything if that happened."

**Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then —crack!- became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before —crack! — becoming a single, bloody eyeball.**

**"****It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"**

"You're a great teacher Remus," Tonks said in admiration, causing him to blush in awkwardness and pleasure.

**Dean hurried forward.**

**Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.**

Sirius snickered. "Nice one, but why's he afraid of a severed hand?"

"Dean Thomas and a severed hand…?" Tonks asked slowly. "Isn't he the one who's good at drawing? You think that's his Boggart because, as an artist, he fears the loss of a hand?"

"I never thought of that," Remus said thinking it over. "I think that's a good answer."

"On a different note," Moody exclaimed. "I noticed that they keep going on about hands and fingers in this story. Does anyone know why because it's annoying the hell out of me?"

"Oh, I think that it's just good foreshadowing," Remus said sadly, thinking about that night in the Shrieking Shake. He was not looking forward to that chapter. He didn't go into any details as he shared a sad look with a grim-looking Padfoot and went on.

**"****Riddikulus!" yelled Dean.**

**There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.**

**"****Excellent! Ron, you next!"**

**Ron leapt forward.**

**Crack!**

**Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then —**

"I hope not!" Molly groaned, knowing just how bad Ron's fear of spiders always was.

**"****Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet. He raised his wand, ready, but —**

**"****Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward. Crack!**

"What? You stepped in? Why did you do that?" Sirius asked in confusion and angrily turning on his friend.

"I had thought that if the Boggart turned to him, it would take on the form of Voldemort" Remus defended himself. "I was concerned that people would panic. I didn't think that it would be sensible to let that happen."

"Yeah, but Harry doesn't know that," Sirius said. He directed it to Remus, but he was looking up at Dumbledore as he was talking. "And he won't understand why you're doing it. I think that you should've told him from the start."

Albus knew what he was talking about and he closed his eyes, really not wanting to talk about this now. "We can talk about this later, Sirius," he told him. He refused to look at him in the face, his guilt gripping his heart. He knew that Sirius was right… and he had to tell Harry the truth soon now after everything that he'd been through. Why was talking about this always a painful topic for him? He sighed, before deciding that he would wait until the books were finished before he decided what to do next.

Thankfully, Remus kept going.

**The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "Riddikulus!" almost lazily.**

'_After all these years, I cannot help but long for those moons I spent at school,'_ Remus thought sadly.

"The full moon," Tonks said slowly as she looked at him with sadness. "I guess that _would_ be your worse fear."

He shrugged. "It's when I turn into a monster. I cannot begin to tell you just how terrifying it is. But I've long since gotten used to it."

"But do you think that it was wise to show what your Boggart was?" Molly asked him concerned. "If they ever figured out that it was the moon, they might've begun to wonder why it was."

"That's why I worked so hard to convince everyone that it was a crystal ball," Remus said with a bitter laugh. "I was going out of my way for everyone to think that I was deathly afraid of Divination."

They all chuckled a little at that feeble attempt a joke before they all forgot about it.

**Crack!**

**"****Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the Boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. **

"Don't know about you, but I don't see anything humorous about a cockroach," Tonks said wrinkling her pig-snot nose. "The point behind that spell is to turn if from something scary into something funny, not icky."

"That's because I remember when Sirius put a cockroach down some guy's shirt back in our fourth-year," Remus laughed, thinking back to how the boy freaked out and started dancing around like someone had set him on fire. "He bullied me because I was ill all the time and Sirius stood up for me and put one down the back of his shirt later that day."

"Awww," Tonks said as others let out shouts of humor. She looked at Sirius who was beaming at the memory. "So you have a heart in there somewhere."

He smacked the back of her head carelessly. "I'm a lot of things," he told her. "But I'm not going to just sit back and watch when you mess with one of my mates!"

"That's sweet in a slightly disturbing way," Arthur spoke up as Molly was shaking her head.

**Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined.**

**"****Riddikulus!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the Boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.**

**"****Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone… Let me see… five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the Boggart — ten for Neville because he did it twice… and five each to Hermione and Harry."**

"I can see that you can't resist giving your old House points," Snape muttered.

"Neither can you," Minerva pointed out. "And I think that class all deserved it don't."

**"****But I didn't do anything," said Harry.**

"Harry… for once, don't complain when things are going good," said Sirius, as though Harry were mad. "You've got to start having fun!"

"Why does he always feel like he has to object or ask for punishment?" Tonks sighed. "He's crazy."

"Maybe because he's still not use to good things happen to him?" Mad-Eye offered, which wiped their smiles off instantly.

"Thanks, Mad-Eye," Tonks said looking at him. "You always know what to say to lighten the mood."

He shrugged. "Just saying it as I see it."

**"****You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry," Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me… to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."**

"Is that why you asked Harry a question. You knew you wouldn't let him face the Boggart from the start?" Albus asked him. But as Remus nodded, Sirius cried out in a disgusted tone.

"You're gonna give them homework, Moony? What happened to the Marauder part of you?!"

"I have to give them something so they can learn!" sighed Remus exasperated. "I was a teacher, not a prankster!"

Sirius put a hand over his heart as if he was about to have a heart attack and made a gagging noise. Severus rolled his eyes and said coldly, "Drama Queen."

**Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Harry, however, wasn't feeling cheerful. **

"Oh, dear," said Molly worriedly. She had been worried about his—Harry was much more sensitive than anyone ever thought. He always thought the worse of himself, and that just broke her heart.

**Professor Lupin had deliberately stopped him from tackling the Boggart. Why? Was it because he'd seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn't up to much? Had he thought Harry would pass out again?**

"I would never think that of Harry. I know he would be powerful and be able to handle himself," Remus reasoned quickly.

"He'll be fine, Remus," said Kingsley soothingly. "'I'm sure Harry'll get over it soon enough."

"I won't hold my breath on that," Mad-Eye muttered, knowing just how much the boy seemed to brood over everything.

**But no one else seemed to have noticed anything.**

**"****Did you see me take that banshee?" shouted Seamus.**

**"****And the hand!" said Dean, waving his own around.**

**"****And Snape in that hat!"**

**"****And my mummy!"**

"It was a brilliant way to make them like you," Arthur said jolly. "Sounds like they all had a great time."

"Thank you," Remus answered, looking relieved and thrilled that they all thought that.

"Told you," Sirius said grinning. "Professor Moony is the best!"

**"****I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?" said Lavender thoughtfully.**

Remus laughed, "That was where I got the idea. It wasn't easy convincing everyone else that though."

**"****That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?" said Ron excitedly as they made their way back to the classroom to get their bags.**

"Of course it was," said Sirius. "Can't go wrong if Moony's teaching you! He'll get you through your exams, no problem. He did that to all the younger students if I recall correctly."

Remus smiled sheepishly and answered, "Not that it's saying much if my first class what the best. I mean look at what they had from their last two teachers."

"Augh," groaned Minerva, "Don't remind me!"

"Ok," Remus said yawning tiredly. "There's only a couple more lines."

**"****He seems like a very good teacher," said Hermione approvingly.**** "****But I wish I could have had a turn with the Boggart —"**

**"****What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"**

Remus bit his lower lip, remembering when Hermione took her exam. He breathed a sigh of relief and informed them all, "That's the end of another chapter."

"About time," Severus growled. "I didn't think that this terrible chapter would end."

"I liked it," Tonks said happily. "Except for the parts that you were in it of course, Snape!"

"You have to be the rudest little…" Severus began before he was interrupted.

"Well, since you feel that way," Remus told him angrily before he could finish insulting Tonks. He held the book out to him. "Why don't you read next if you think that you're above us all?"

Severus looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, "Fine. This way I can block you all out if you try complaining again."

He callously took the book away, turned to where Remus had left off and read out harshly. "**Chapter 8: Flight of the Fat Lady.**"


	12. Flight of the Fat Lady

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 10: Flight of the Fat Lady**

He callously took the book away, turned to where Remus had left off and read out harshly. "**Chapter 8: Flight of the Fat Lady.**"

"_'Flight of the Fat Lady'_?" repeated Tonks in utter confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Whatever it is," Molly said in concern, "There's no way that it can be good. Oh, dear, what on earth could've happened to her?"

Albus, Minerva, Severus, and Remus all looked at Sirius, who was had turn a nasty grey color.

He had no idea what was going through his mind when he attacked her that night. He knew that Harry and the others were sure to be at the feast so the common room was bound to be empty. But he didn't think about needing the password to get in… he just sort of came up with the idea and went for it as he usually does.

And when he got to the portrait, he tried pleading, begging her to let him in and then he would leave once he got what he came for. But once she realized who he was, she refused and he just snapped. His frustration and rage finally took complete control and he had taken out a knife—a sharp foot-long knife, and had slashed at the Fat Lady's portrait.

He had stabbed and slashed like a madman until, finally, his rage vanished. He didn't know what came over him when he attacked her, he didn't know the butcher's knife he stole from the village could cut that deep as he ripped through her canvas.

He remembered as he stared at the destroyed painting, horror-struck at what he had done, not knowing what to do. There were deep gashes in the canvas as strips of the portrait had been scattered all over the floor, in just pieces, and the Fat Lady had fled.

Horrified, Sirius stood there gaping for a moment before he heard Peeves' sing-song voice and he turned and fled down the stairs. He transformed in mid-run and headed straight to the statue that led to Honeydukes. Once he followed the passageway back to Hogsmeade he ran straight through the village and back to the heart of the Forbidden Forest and hid there. He transformed back into his human form and gasped for breath, still not believing what came over him or what he had.

But the idea that that little piece of scum was sleeping in a warm bed, cared for as a pampered pet and able to see Harry every day caused him to explode in such anger that he just had to attack something or else his rage would've driven him insane.

He then heard Severus starting to read again, and with a huge effort, came back to the present.

**In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class. **

"Of course it is," said Tonks with a winning smile as she looked at Remus. "That's 'cause Moony's teaching it!"

"And Professor Moony says that he wasn't a good teacher!" Sirius cheered, grinning at the redding werewolf who glared half-heartedly at them.

**Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin.**

"Typical," Tonks muttered, her smile quickly turning to a scowl. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Yeah, well Malfoy's a crybaby so what else is new?" Sirius spat as he punched Remus's shoulder. "Who cares about his opinions anyway?"

"You got that right!" called out Tonks firmly. "We know that you're an amazing teacher."

Severus rolled his eyes, really wishing that they would stop praising the animal as he continued on, still wondering if it was worth it to be here.

**"Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. "He dresses like our old house elf."**

Just about everyone glared at the book at those words, as if wishing that it was Malfoy, though Tonks and Sirius were the worst of all.

"And how does that have anything to do with his teaching?" interrupted Tonks angrily.

"I wish that someone would just shut up that brat! Moony is awesome!" Sirius snarled. "Who gives a damn what he's wearing as long as you learn something useful?!"

"Relax Sirius," Remus said as he put a soothing hand on his shoulder. "You're taking this worse than I am. And these kind of remarks don't mean anything at all to me. I've dealt with them for years—before, at and after Hogwarts. I'm used to them."

Sirius just continued to growl. He always hated the fact that his kind and soft-spoken friend was always treated with such ridiculous prejudice.

"Why don't you just buy some new robes, Remus?" asked Tonks him as if she thought that he never thought of it before himself.

"Well, being a werewolf has its many difficulties, Tonks," he told her grimily. "It's very difficult to find a decent paying job so I can't afford to spend money on just anything."

Tonks was making mental notes to surprise him with some new robes. Though knowing him, he won't take them. Not that it worried her; she was going to make sure he wore them even if she had to threaten him to an inch of his life.

**But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. **

"Good for them," Molly said. "Those Malfoy's place too much importance on money and what you can buy, you shouldn't judge a person by the way he dresses anyway."

"But having decent clothes does help with a good first impression," Remus muttered under his breath.

"Oh, well in that case," Sirius said rather brightly, "I'll be sure to get you a complete new wardrobe next Christmas."

"Oh, no Sirius," Remus began but Sirius waved his hand down. "Come on! You more than deserve it! I only wish I thought to get you some new clothes instead of that year supply of chocolate I got you last Christmas."

"But I like it," Remus said with a slight grin. "You always gotten me chocolate, why break tradition?"

Sirius waved his hand at him in frustration. He had more than enough money to buy Remus several wardrobes full of clothes for his old friend and he didn't care how much Remus refused.

**His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas, creepy. water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.**

"You'll have them caught up in no time at all, Remus," Kingsley said approvingly. "I can see that they learned a lot from you."

"Thanks," Remus grinned, glad he was finally realizing his dream to become a teacher; even if it was for a short time. Those few months at Hogwarts were some of the best of his life… but like all good things, they came to a painful end.

"Figures that Professor Moony would be teaching them about dark creatures and how to defend themselves against them."

"Meaning?" Remus asked lightly with his eyebrows raised.

"I just think that it's strangely fitting," Sirius said to him brightly. "Makes me wonder what you would've done when it came to the werewolf chapter." He, along with most of the others, didn't notice Remus twitch slightly, or the smug sneer on Snape's face. Sirius just went on by saying, "Only problem is that you've got two whole years to have them all caught up!"

"Yeah," Remus said with a forced look of indignation, though it seemed to be more of a grimace.

**Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes. **

Albus reflexively frowned while Arthur said, "Oh, no. What now?"

**Worst of all was Potions. **

"Well, Snape teaches Potions, so it's bound to be miserable," Sirius said wisely.

"No surprises there," said Mad-Eye with a dark look at Snape. "You do know that you're making them all want to quit one of the most important things that you can learn? You need to be able to tell the difference between a safe drink, and one that's been spiked with poison."

"You're the only person I know who would argue like that," Tonks said happily. "Just asking, how can you tell if your cup of tea has been poisoned?"

"That's easy," he answered. "If the tea is see-through, then something else has been added. It has to be thick or else it's not good."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she said thinking that over.

**Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, **

"You mean more than usual?" Sirius said in mock surprise as he looked over at him. "No! Mister Sunshine Snape in a bad mood?"

"Shut it, Black," Severus snapped, his teeth barred.

**and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the Boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire. **

Everyone grinned whilst Snape just scowled at them all, looking angrier with every line he read. Sirius especially was happy as he thought back to the last chapter. Oh, what he wouldn't have given to see the Boggart Snape in grandma's clothing.

**Snape didn't seem to find it funny. **

"Really?" grinned Sirius wickedly, a spark of his old hostility toward Severus coming back to life. "Personally, I thought that it was funny."

"Laugh it up, Black," he snarled. "I'm sure that you're going to be liking this chapter just as much as I do later on."

He suddenly remembered the chapter's name and the smile was almost instantly wiped off his face. Looking triumphant, Severus went on.

**His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever.**

"Severus…" Albus sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly as the man in question refused to look at him.

"And you wonder why he's scared of you," Minerva glared at him. "Do you have to frighten the poor boy so much?"

"You know it wouldn't kill you to get a sense of humor!" Tonks said to him.

"Why don't you all be quiet or I won't go on," he threatened.

**Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him. **

Minerva and Molly rolled their eyes. "And I thought that you were the biggest Drama Queen I ever met, Sirius," Minerva said.

Sirius wasn't sure if he should be insulted or not so he just let it slide.

**He couldn't like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class. **

"Oh, dear," interrupted Molly, rather disdainfully, her eyes narrowing at the way Trelawney was treating Harry. Like the poor boy didn't have enough problems as it is.

**Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawney's tower room at lunch times, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didn't. They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to Harry, as though he were on his deathbed.**

"That would get annoying real quick," grimaced Kingsley.

"Yeah, but he's still alive after three years she first predicted his death and he hasn't keeled over yet," Mad-Eye muttered.

"Please," muttered Sirius. "Personally, I think that they're doing this because they think it'll win over Harry! Too bad he's not interested in Divination wannabes."

**Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.**

"Poor Hagrid," Tonks said glaring at the book, as if she was daring it to start saying that Hagrid was a bad teacher.

"I can't believe Malfoy," Molly hissed. "Making such a big fuss just to get Hagrid fired and look at all the trouble that it's putting everyone through."

"He's as spoiled as his father," Arthur said knowingly.

**"****Why would anyone bother looking after them?" said Ron, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the flobberworms' throats.**

"You know, I've always wondered about that," commented Sirius, before Severus continued reading. "I think that their only use is for fish bait."

**At the start of October, however, Harry had something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it more than made up for his unsatisfactory classes.**

"Quidditch!" cried Sirius and Tonks together so loudly, they caused the others to wince. Even though a few of them were fighting smiles themselves.

**The Quidditch season was approaching, and Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.**

**There were seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers,** **whose job it was to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, soccer-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the field; two Beaters, who were equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls that zoomed around trying to attack the players); a Keeper, who defended the goal posts, **

"Oliver was a brilliant Keeper," Minerva said thinking of the boy. "A little to obsessed with Quidditch, yes, but a wonderful player all the same."

"He already left right?" Kingsley asked, "Do you know what he's doing now?"

"He joined the Puddlemere United reserve team," Minerva told him. "He was set on joining a Quidditch team when he left."

"Well, at least he's doing something he loves," Remus stated. "Good for him."

**and the Seeker, who had the hardest job of all, that of catching the Golden Snitch, a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ended the game and earned the Seeker's team an extra one hundred and fifty points.**

"And of course, we have the youngest Seeker in a century," Sirius said, beaming proudly every time that was mentioned. He didn't care what anyone else said, that had to be one of the proudest moments when he first heard that Harry got on the team in his first year. James would've burst out in tears of joy if he heard that.

**Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch field.**

**"****This is our last chance —my last chance — to win the Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it.**

"He sounds almost desperate," Mad-Eye said looking at the wall, bored out of his mind. "Winning a cup? Not to ambitious is he?"

**"****Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world — injuries — then the tournament getting called off last year." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the best — ruddy — team — in — the — school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three superb Chasers."**

**Wood pointed at Alicia Spinner, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell.**

**"****We've got two unbeatable Beaters."**

**"****Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.**

Sirius laughed again, "I love these two! They're like all the comic relief in these books!"

Even Molly was smiling at her boys and was shaking her head with silent laughter.

**"****And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought.**

**"****We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.**

**"****Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.**

"Do they really mean that?" Tonks asked, "Or are they just saying that to humor him?"

"I think a little of both," Albus said, after a second. "Wood was without a doubt a marvelous Keeper, but admitting it doesn't seem to be an easy thing for those boys to do."

"You've got that right," Arthur said, thinking back to how Fred and George would hardly ever praise anyone unless they really impressed them. And even then, they usually did that in a rather mocking or cold way. That is something that he would have to talk to them about.

**"****The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag.**

Albus couldn't stop the look of pride appearing on his face at that.

"That's because he's the best," Sirius burst out, his own chest swelling with pride. "Harry could easily go pro once he leaves school."

"That is if Voldemort doesn't kill us all before then," Mad-Eye said. The smiles vanished, and the room grew tense. Tonks shook her head, "Wow, Mad-Eye," she said. "Way to bring us all down."

He shrugged, "Just stating a fact. Don't blame me because it's true."

**But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing…"**

**Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.**

Quite a few people in the raised their eyebrows in shock not quite believing that the twins could be sympathetic.

"That's impressive," Molly said, trying hard to remember the last time she saw her boys looking sympathetic… and failing to think of one.

**"****Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.**

**"****We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.**

**"****Definitely," said Harry.**

**Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. **

"Well, as long as it doesn't affect Harry's, Fred's, and George's studies…" began Molly.

"You really think that they would study?" Tonks asked shrewdly. "Harry… maybe… the twins… not so much."

Molly frowned at that, wishing that Fred and George would take their schoolwork a little more seriously.

**The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Harry's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup.**

"Gryffindors," muttered a disgruntled Snape. "They're all the same."

**Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.**

**"****What's happened?", he asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.**

**"****First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."**

That not only ruined Harry's good mood that day, but it also brought everyone who read that line down. They all stared glumly around at each other.

"Poor Harry," groaned Tonks, feeling sympathy rise up in her at the thought of him being alone for practically that whole day. "That would ruin anyone's mood!"

"I'm going to kill those Dursleys," Sirius muttered with a scowl and everyone's eyes narrowed at the thought of the Dursleys. "All that they had to do was sign a piece of parchment for their only nephew, and they couldn't even do that much for him. Blimey, you would think that they thought that the world would end if Harry was actually happy."

"But Harry's allowed to go now isn't he?" Kingsley asked.

"Yep," Sirius said, cheering up slightly. "I'm his godfather and I say that he's more than allowed to go there. Personally, I wish that he snuck in more often but…"

"Sirius," Molly warned. "You shouldn't be wishing that Harry gets into trouble!"

"He doesn't need to try," Minerva said, sounding a little cold. "Potter's been getting an unusual amount of detentions this year. That toad Umbridge is furious about that interview he gave and has not only banned him from Hogsmeade, but also another week of detentions."

Sirius was looking outraged. "For telling the truth? What's she making him do in those detentions?"

"From what she claims," Minerva said simply, "It's only lines."

Sirius sighed, "Well, I guess that it could be worse."

Severus only read the next line before he let out a venomous exclamation.

**"****Excellent," said Fred, who had followed Harry through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."**

Molly frowned at that. As did Minerva and Severus, who shouted out, "So it IT'S them!"

They all looked up at him confused.

"Do you mind explaining what you are talking about Severus?" asked Albus as though he were talking about the weather, Snape curled his lip. "At least once a week, someone sets off Stink Pellets in the dungeons."

"Hmm, most likely," Mad-Eye said as Molly put her hand over eyes in exasperation. "Though you might want to catch them in the act before you punish them."

"I agree," Albus said as Severus looked ready to kill. "But that's hardly important here."

"Easy for you to say," Severus hissed under his breath; this was why he hated leaving his dungeons. "You don't have to walk out of your office without worrying about Stink Pellets."

**Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits ebbing away. Hermione seemed to read his mind.**

**"****Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."**

As always, whenever his name came up, Sirius's grin faded and he leaned back in his seat, looking depressed.

Remus noticed this and said quickly, "Sirius wasn't the real problem here, it's that Harry will never be allowed to leave the castle." He looked at Minerva and said, "I know that you wouldn't let him go anywhere even if there was nothing wrong."

She raised her eyebrows and said, "Rules are rules, Remus."

**"****Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron. **

Severus snorted at that line, knowing full well that Black was dumb enough to do anything. Sirius, having a good idea of what Snape was snorting at, glared at him—daring him to say another word.

**"Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages —"**

**"****Ron!" said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay in school —"**

"What he's _supposed _to do and what he _actually_ does are two very different things," Severus muttered. Everyone was going through so much precaution and care to keep the boy safe, and instead he goes and does whatever he wants anyway. He smiled, glad that he finally found a part of the boy that was as arrogant as his rule-breaking father…

"Oh, give him a break," Tonks sighed as she leaned over the arm of the couch tiredly. "He's a kid! He should be allowed to have some fun once in his life! Instead, he's stuck being trapped inside that castle—he's not even allowed to go out onto the grounds without someone constantly watching him or there with him, breathing down his neck."

Sirius averted his gaze down to the table. Guilt racked every part of his body. It was never meant to be like this for Harry. He felt his nails digging their way into his palms, but he barely noticed that as everyone else was looking depressed and guilty. Even Snape, who was looking disgruntled; instead of saying anything to that, he kept reading.

**"****He can't be the only third year left behind," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry —"**

**"****Yeah, I think I will," said Harry, making up his mind.**

"HA!" laughed Mad-Eye. "Good luck with that!"

Everyone else nodded their agreement at once as Minerva's mouth became a thin line. She had wanted to let the boy go with everyone else when he had asked her, but at the time, she'd been convinced that Sirius was after him, like everyone else was—and besides that he didn't have a signed form, so there wasn't much she could do about it.

Sirius was shaking his head. "Honestly, their third year at Hogwarts, and they should know better by now."

"I like that Ron's optimistic," said Sirius, "Though I think that it would be safer if they ask Moony."

"I'm afraid that it wasn't up to me," said Remus uncomfortably.

**Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.**

"That should make Ron happy," said Arthur lightly.

"I can see where this is going," Kingsley said.

"Do you think Crookshanks knows that Ron hate spiders?" Tonks asked no one in particular with a laugh.

"Well, he's a smart cat," Sirius grinned. "Wouldn't surprise me."

**"****Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling.**

**"****Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" said Hermione.**

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's not like he had help," Sirius said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't call that _clever_," complained Mad-Eye irritably closing his eyes tiredly and wishing that something interesting would happen. "The only useful thing that cats can do is catch their food."

"I take it that you aren't an animal lover," Tonks declared.

**Crookshanks; slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron.**

"Ok, now I'm convinced that he knows that Ron hates spiders," Sirius snickered. "He's the most intelligent cat I've ever met."

"You know, I'm starting to think that cat is a Kneazle," Kingsley stating, thinking it over. "They are supposed to be really smart…"

"He's half actually," Sirius informed him.

"How do you know that?" Molly asked him in surprise. "Did Hermione tell you or…?"

"Actually, Crookshanks…" Sirius stopped himself. He had a funny feeling that they wouldn't take him seriously if he told them that he could communicate with a cat. "He just looks… part Kneazle," he finally said. After that, he looked up at the ceiling and refused to look at anyone until Snape went on.

**"Just keep him over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."**

**Harry yawned. He really wanted to go to bed, but he still had his own star chart to complete. He pulled his bag toward him, took out parchment, ink, and quill, and started work.**

**"****You can copy mine, if you like," said Ron, labeling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart toward Harry.**

"Harry shouldn't copy," Molly said disapprovingly.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "It could be all wrong."

Minerva and Molly were giving him sharp look.

"I don't think that's what she meant," Tonks whispered in Sirius's ears as he grinned cheekily back.

**Hermione, who disapproved of copying, pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.**

**"****OY!" Ron roared, **

It was funny hearing Severus reading that in a calm and cold tone, but if they wanted him to show any emotion like that, he was going to have to disappoint.

**seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"**

**Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.**

**"****Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top —**

**"****CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.**

"Get him Crookshanks," Sirius muttered under his breath. If only that cat was able to bring Peter to him then Voldemort never would've come back… and Harry wouldn't be suffering right now. He felt his eyes burn red and a growl came from his throat—everyone but Remus was focused on the book.

Remus looked over to see Sirius looking angrier than he ever saw him before, and was almost glad that Severus went on speaking.

**George Weasley made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.**

**Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.**

**"****Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"**

**"****Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. **

"Oh, no," Sirius muttered quietly again. "It's right. It's justice. Crookshanks knows that."

"Sirius," Remus whispered back, not aware that Moody's eye was on them both and was looking suspicious.

**"All cats chase rats, Ron!"**

**"****There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"**

"Cats do like to chase rats, but Weasley is right—this cat has a fixation on this particular rat," Mad-Eye said as his eye starting spinning again.

"No matter what the reason," Minerva said suddenly, "I find it a little eerie that Crookshanks seems to know what Ron's saying."

"Yeah…" Sirius said looking a little more cheerful for a second. "I love that cat."

"I thought that you always hated cats Padfoot, what's with this one?" Remus asked softly.

Sirius shrugged. "Crookshanks is smart; smartest animal I've ever met that wasn't an illegal Animagus. He was also the first one to believe that I'm innocent and been helping me."

"How on earth has a cat been helping you?" Molly has to ask skeptically as Remus' face fell once again every time that he was reminded of all those years of believing that Sirius was guilty and deserved to be sent to Azkaban. He still felt like he should've done something—anything to at least have talked to Sirius and get the whole story from him before he just accepted the idea that he was to blame.

"I'm sure that it'll explain later on," Sirius's voice said, calling him back from wherever his miserable thoughts had taken him. "In the meantime, let's get this chapter over with. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."

**"****Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think —"**

**"****That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!"**

"_All this_…" cried Minerva, "Over a rat?!"

"Your right, Minerva," Sirius said darkly. "That rat's not worth the trouble."

"He's Ron's pet," Arthur defended at once, looking at him crossly. "Scabbers has been in the family for years. Of course Ron would care."

"It's strange though," Kingsley said slowly. "That woman back at Diagon Alley said that rats only live for a few years…"

"Yeah," Tonks agreed. "I mean, it's obvious that Scabber's is ill, but he's also old. Rats aren't supposed to live that long."

"I think that cat would be doing everyone a favor," Sirius growled venomously. "It would be for the best if Crookshanks would just eat him and put everyone out of their misery."

Most of the room stared at him in startled confusion, except for Albus, Severus, Remus, and surprisingly—Moody.

"Sirius," snapped Molly, in her you're-not-being-very-tactful voice.

"What?" he barked back ill-tempered.

"I think that it would be for the best if we stopped talking about the rat," Albus spoke up before Molly, her face starting to turn red, could say anything. He turned to Severus and asked, "Severus? Please continue."

**Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.**

**Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry, and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod.**

"Potter's always the one caught in the middle of their childish fights, isn't he?" Mad-Eye asked uninterested.

"Yep," Tonks muttered, thinking of the numerous times that Harry had been seen acting the part of the peacemaker between them from the last two books. "It must be very irritating for him to deal with them like this on a daily basis."

**"****How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.**

**"****He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.**

"Ronald!" Molly said sternly, forgetting for a second that her youngest son wasn't even here. "You know that it wasn't her fault! I wish that you would start being mature about things like this."

"I would save the telling-offs until you next see him, Molly," Arthur smiled at her, and she blushed.

**"****Careful, Weasley, careful!" cried Professor Sprout as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.**

**They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case. **

"Doesn't really matter," shrugged Sirius gloomily with a glance at his old teacher. "Everyone, except for Ron it seems, knows that you won't agree to it, no matter how good your reason is."

"There wasn't anything I could do," she told him sadly. "He needed permission from a guardian, and he didn't. Though thinking back, I thought that it was strange that his relatives didn't sign his form for him…"

"Because their prejudice gits that have their heads up their…" Sirius said, but his voice was once again drowned up by Severus's.

**He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line.**

**Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious.**

**"****What's the matter, Lavender?" said Hermione anxiously as she, Harry, and Ron went to join the group.**

**"****She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."**

"Oh, poor girl," Tonks murmured, knowing that it would've been hard for any girl to lose their pet, especially like this.

"What is with people and their pets in this story?" Sirius said loudly. "It's nothing to cry over."

"And this is why you're still single," Tonks told him coldly and he let out a sharp laugh.

"Really? Geez, and here I was thinking that it had something to do with the fact that I was trapped inside a cell for twelve years," he said sarcastically. "Gosh, wish I knew sooner."

**"****Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender."**

**"****I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?"**

**"****Er —"**

**"****The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"**

"Oh, here we go," Molly said shaking her head. There was no way that was a real prediction—lucky coincidence? Yes.

"It still doesn't mean anything," Severus said annoyed. He knew better than anyone that woman had the real gift of sight… but apparently it only worked when it involved a big event in history. As far as he knew, it was a onetime ability.

"I guess everyone gets lucky at some point in time," Minerva mumbled to herself so no one else would hear her—except for Albus who had to fight back a chuckle.

"Not quite," Remus felt the need to point out. "Binky didn't necessarily die on that day. She only got the _letter_ that day."

"More proof right there," Minerva said convinced.

**The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, "You — you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"**

"Oh, Hermione, I would've thought that you of all people wouldn't be asking that," Molly said disappointed.

**"****Well, not necessarily by a fox," said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, "but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"**

**"****Oh," said Hermione. She paused again. Then —**

**"****Was Binky an old rabbit?"**

"Hermione, stop it," pleaded Tonks, "You normally have a lot of tact! Now's not the time to forget about it."

**"****N — no!" sobbed Lavender. "H — he was only a baby!"**

**Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders.**

**"****But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione.**

**Parvati glared at her.**

Everyone in the room groaned and shook their heads slowly.

"I think Lavender just dreaded the thought of losing him someday," Remus said quietly. "Even if it was a pet—she knew that he would die someday and she couldn't stand the thought of losing him. Just like everyone dreads the thought of losing someone they love." He turned to Sirius whose eyes shown with years of sadness before he hid his face in his hands.

"And I thought it was supposed to be Ron who that didn't have any compassion," Tonks said sadly.

"Just because she's smart, doesn't mean she's perfect," Minerva grimaced. "Even she's forgets… Not that she meant any harm—it's just that sometimes I think that she doesn't always consider the feelings of others when she's trying to make a point."

"Even so," Molly said, softly. "This really wasn't the time to try to prove that Divination's a load of rubbish."

**"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today —" Lavender wailed loudly. "– and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock —"**

"What's she got against other people's pets?" asked Mad-Eye wonderingly.

"Hermione," groaned Tonks. "Who cares about when or how old the rabbit died? Binky's dead, and she's upset! At least try not to say all this in front of her!"

**"****Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," said Ron loudly, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."**

Albus shook his head and most of the others winced, knowing what was going to happen.

"Oh, Ronald," sighed Molly sadly, "You didn't have to say that!" She looked at Arthur and said evidently, "It must be so hard on Harry to have two best friends that spend all their time fighting."

**Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Hermione and Ron were looking daggers at each other, and when they got into class, they seated themselves on either side of Harry and didn't talk to each other for the whole class.**

Snape had to force himself not to smile. To be honest, he loved it when those two were fighting. His lessons were always so much quieter and all three of them worked the whole time. It was always enjoyable to see them like that.

"These two argue like an old married couples," Remus laughed, thinking of two other people who used to argue like that. He shared a grin with Sirius, who knew who he was thinking of and looked ready to laugh again.

"I think Harry's got to be one of the most tolerant people I've ever met to be able to deal with those two on a daily basis," Minerva stated.

"He's tolerant alright," Albus said sadly, "Though he has a bad temper to make up for it."

**Harry still hadn't decided what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.**

**"****One moment, please!" she called as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"**

"And that's basically her telling him a definite 'no' before he even had the chance to ask," Tonks groaned, crossing her arms.

"Just shows how stupid rules are," Sirius grumbled.

"The rules are there for a reason, Sirius," Minerva told him sternly.

"WE went to Hogsmeade every month and nothing ever happened," complained Sirius.

"I know _we_ did," Remus reminded him, "But Harry's not like that and you're out there. WE know that you aren't after him!" he said quickly when he saw Sirius open his mouth in fury, "But no one else knew that at the time did they?"

**Neville put up his hand.**

**"****Please, Professor, I — I think I've lost —"**

**"****Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave."**

"Oh, just embarrass him in front of everyone, why don't you?" Tonks asked Minerva who was looking a little ashamed of herself.

"Why not?" Severus muttered. "I have to agree with Augusta. After all, that boy couldn't remember anything if his life depended on it."

"Severus,' said Minerva in a warning voice. "I'm warning you this time…"

**"****Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry.**

**"****Oh. but —" Hermione began.**

**"****Go for it, Harry," said Ron stubbornly.**

"Don't even bother," everyone said at once.

Albus laughed lightly. "If Harry considers Ron to be stubborn," he told the room when they looked at him in confusion. "It makes me wonder just what he considers himself."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked not understanding.

"You know as well as I do what Harry's like," Albus elaborated. "Once Harry decides to do something, he'll follow through with it until the end despite what anyone else tells him."

"Especially when that plan involves danger," Mad-Eye said conversationally.

"A trait that he no doubt inherited from his mother," Remus stated nostalgically. Albus couldn't help but notice the way that Severus's hands griped the book just a little tighter as he went on.

**Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Professor McGonagall's desk.**

Sirius pretended to shudder with fear. "Brave man," he said. "I never thought I would live to see the day that someone was brave enough to do that."

"Black," Minerva warned him this time.

"You see my point?" he asked as if she just confirmed his words. "Scary…"

**"****Yes, Potter?" Harry took a deep breath.**

**"****Professor, my aunt and uncle — er — forgot to sign my form," he said.**

"Forgot?!" hissed Molly angrily, almost foaming at the mouth in anger. "_Forgot?_! Did he just say that they just _forgot_?!"

"Yeah," Sirius snarled, and the others looked angry once again.

"I wish he had explained what really happened," Minerva said with her voice little angrier than she had intended. "I don't know what I would've done, but I'm sure that I would've done something."

"He's too kind," Kingsley said in his deep voice. "Never thought that would be considered a bad thing."

"Those Dursleys don't deserve it," Sirius snapped.

**Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him but didn't say anything.**

**"****So — er — d'you think it would be all right mean, will It be okay if I — if I go to Hogsmeade?"**

"Yes," said Severus dryly. "That's convincing isn't it?"

"Oh, just shut up already, Snape," Sirius retorted idly.

"If you were worried about his safety, professor, I wouldn't bother," Tonks grumbled. "After all, the Dursleys couldn't care less if he hurt or killed."

"Yes, but the rest of us do care," Molly said fiercely.

**Professor McGonagall looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk.**

**"****I'm afraid not, Potter," she said. "You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule."**

**"****But — Professor, my aunt and uncle — you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about — about Hogwarts forms and stuff," Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. "If you said I could go —"**

Albus chuckled, "Yes, I think that it is safe to say that he has Lily's stubbornness as well as her temper." He ignored the sudden glare that Severus was giving him.

**"****But I don't say so," said Professor McGonagall, standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer. "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission." **

"Yeah, but the Dursleys don't count for either," Sirius yelled out loudly. Even if he _was_ a crazed psycho killer, Sirius knew that Harry would've been better off with him.

**She turned to look at him, with an odd expression on her face. Was it pity? **

Some of them gasped as they stared up at her. "Was it?" exclaimed Sirius stunned. "How does my godson do it? How does he always manage to pull off the impossible? To actually get strict Professor McGonagall to show pity?

"It wasn't pity so you can all relax," Minerva told them all. Truthfully, it was worry. At the time, she didn't know that Potter already knew about Sirius Black and thought that he didn't understand just how much danger he was in.

**"I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson."**

**There was nothing to be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione; Hermione assumed an 'all-for-the-best' expression that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade.**

"Oh," Tonks sighed. "It's just not fair. He, of all people should be allowed to go have fun in Hogsmeade."

Albus looked at the book with sorrow, but there wasn't much that he could do about it now. He knew that Tonks was right, Harry of all people should've had the chance to go out and have fun with his friends and not have to worry about anything except how much Honeydukes sweets he could carry. Was it really a sin that he wanted Harry to have at least some peace in his life? He knew that the second he told Harry the truth, he would never have a moment's peace again. He put his hand up to his face and became lost in his thoughts… at least until he heard Alastor speak again.

"Funny isn't it?" Mad-Eye suddenly said darkly. "That everyone else just assume that they know what's best for the boy? I mean, if you really stop to think about it, everything that everyone does to try to protect him, only seem to backfire in the end. Making him live in that house for all those years, keeping him cut off from the news all last summer…" he looked pointedly at Dumbledore before saying. "It'd probably be a lot less hassle if someone would just ask what was going through that boy's head instead of just guessing all the time."

Albus stared firmly back, knowing full-well what Alastor was getting at. He knew that everything he had tried to do with Harry had indeed backfired and only caused the him more pain. He filled his conscience with meaningless words, trying to tell himself that it was for the Harry's own good… he shook his head harshly, trying to get his head cleared on what he should do.

He couldn't come right out and talk to Harry about this now anyway… just looking at him was putting him at risk. From what he understood, Voldemort did indeed know about the connection between the two of them since the attack on Arthur. But he also knew that he couldn't ignore Harry forever… he tried hard not to dwell on it as Severus read on.

**"****There's always the feast," said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening."**

**"****Yeah," said Harry gloomily, "great."**

**The Halloween feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made him feel any better about being left behind. Dean Thomas, who was good with a quill, had offered to forge Uncle Vernon's signature on the form, but as Harry had already told Professor McGonagall he hadn't had it signed, that was no good. **

"Wouldn't have worked anyway," Minerva informed the others, "He wasn't the first to try something like that, and we check every one of the permission forms when they're turned in. If they tried it, it would only have gotten both of them into severe trouble."

"Oh, ruin the fun why don't you?" Sirius asked.

**Ron halfheartedly suggested the Invisibility Cloak, but Hermione stamped on that one, reminding Ron what Dumbledore had told them about the Dementors being able to see through them. Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.**

"Just one thing after another," moaned Sirius. "If it wasn't for the Dementors, Harry could just slip through with Ron and Hermione."

"This is in the past, Sirius," Kingsley reminded him. "The Dementors are gone, and Harry is allowed to go… or he was."

They all remembered what Minerva said about how Umbridge banned Harry from going again… at least for as long as she stayed at the school—which hopefully won't be for much longer.

**"****They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."**

"Well, Perce," muttered Sirius sarcastically. "I'm sure you've cheered him up now, so why don't you just shut up and leave him alone."

"Oh, what tremendous words of comfort," Tonks grunted, as she decided to turn her hair to a bright orange just for something else to do.

"What I don't get is how could anyone actually get bored with Hogsmeade!" exclaimed Sirius with a dreamy expression. "That place as some of my best memories…"

Severus, not wanting to hear Black talk about himself, continued.

**On Halloween morning, Harry awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast, feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing his best to act normally.**

**"****We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.**

**"****Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties.**

"Yep, I think that he's the only thing that's keeping that rocky friendship together," exclaimed Remus with a smile.

"Looks like it," Tonks agreed. "I knew there was a reason why they stayed friends."

"At least they're able to do that," Molly nodded. "I was starting to worry about them for a second."

"Nah," Sirius disagreed. "I think that it's good to have two best friends like that. Keeps life interesting."

**"****Don't worry about me," said Harry, in what he hoped was at, offhand voice, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."**

"At least he's not being jealous or resentful towards them about it," said Albus. "It'd be childish and pitiable if he were to walk off in a huff." He turned to Severus and Sirius as he said that last sentence, hoping that they could learn something from this. But judging from their faces… he wasn't too hopeful when they ignored him.

**He accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.**

**"****Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"**

"Oh yeah? I bet he's not as scared as you are, Malfoy," said Molly aggressively.

"Ok, this is just pathetic," Sirius rolled his eyes. "They're like—two months into the school year and he's still going on about it? He's just using the same material over and over again. I don't know if he knows this, but the same old taunts get old real quick. Why doesn't he just let it go? Or at least find some new insults?"

"Malfoys aren't very original," Arthur said. "They pay everyone to do everything for them."

"Ha, ha," chortled Sirius. "Good one."

**Harry ignored him and made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the deserted corridors, and back to Gryffindor Tower.**

**"****Password?" said the Fat Lady, jerking out of a doze.**

**"****Fortuna Major," said Harry listlessly.**

**The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole into the common room. It was full of chattering first-and second-years, and a few older students, who had obviously visited Hogsmeade so often the novelty had worn off.**

"Worn off?" repeated Sirius, his hand over his heart, horrified at the very thought. "It never wears off!"

"Yeah, besides, it's a chance to get out of the castle!" Tonks added. "Hogwarts is great and everything, but after three years, you need to get out and stretch your legs, step a toe or two out of line!"

"Have I ever told you that I'm so proud that you're my cousin?" Sirius asked her happily.

"You could stand to mention it a little more," she joked.

**"****Harry! Harry! Hi, Harry!"**

**It was Colin Creevey, a second year who was deeply in awe of Harry and never missed an opportunity to speak to him.**

"So in other words, he hadn't changed at all," Sirius said. If he was in Harry's place, he would've loved that attention—just another reminder that Harry was a better and much more mature person than he ever was… what was that Muggle term? Harry was 'wise beyond his years.' He both hated that, and was proud at the same time.

He was sure that Lily and James also would've been so proud to see how their boy turned out…

**"****Aren't you going to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why not? Hey —" Colin looked eagerly around at his friends — "you can come and sit with us, if you like, Harry!"**

**"****Er — no, thanks, Colin," said Harry, who wasn't in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead. **

"I certainly wouldn't be in the mood," Arthur said wearily.

"Hmm," Tonks said mockingly. "Let me see… to sit there and be gawked at like a sideshow display until everyone else get back…? no, I don't think that it sounds too fun to me."

**"I — I've got to go to the library, got to get some work done."**

**After that, he had no choice but to turn right around and head back out of the portrait hole again.**

**"****What was the point of waking me up?" the Fat Lady called grumpily after him as he walked away.**

**Harry wandered dispiritedly toward the library, but halfway there he changed his mind; he didn't feel like working. **

"The boy _n__ever _feels like working," Snape sneered.

"Knock it off, Snape," he barked. "No one could work if all your friends had just gone off to Hogsmeade without you. Oh, wait, if I recall correctly, you never had any…"

"Sirius," Albus warned with a half-glance to the tense Potion's Master, who was looking like he had just swallowed a jarful of Lemon Drops. "Enough. Severus…?"

With a great effort, Severus forced the memory of himself losing his only true friend and kept going.

**He turned around and came face-to-face with Filch, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Hogsmeade visitors.**

**"****What are you doing?" Filch snarled suspiciously.**

"What's it look like he's doing?" Sirius asked annoyed. "He's walking. Has that suddenly become a crime? Or against the rules?"

"Sirius," Minerva sighed. "I'm sorry that Harry couldn't go to Hogsmeade, but that's just how it happened."

**"****Nothing," said Harry truthfully.**

**"****Nothing!" spat Filch, his jowls quivering unpleasantly. "A likely story! Sneaking around on your own — why aren't you in Hogsmeade buying Stink Pellets and Belch Powder and Whizzing Worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?"**

"Because his so-called-relatives are foul, loathsome, evil bastards that should rot in the lowest pits of hell?" Sirius spat nonchalantly.

"That's putting it lightly," Tonks agreed. "But if Filch would rather have him go, then I'm sure that Harry would be more than happy to oblige.

**Harry shrugged.**

Arthur shook his head as he remembered the bitter caretaker. "Why is it so hard to believe that sometimes—students aren't planning anything wrong?"

"Because most of the time they are," Severus answered.

**"****Well, get back to your common room where you belong!" snapped Filch, and he stood glaring until Harry had passed out of sight.**

**But Harry didn't go back to the common room; **

"No, of course not," Severus mumbled. He's Potter's son after all…

**he climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of visiting the Owlery to see Hedwig, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, "Harry?"**

"Yes!" Sirius beamed. "It's Professor Moony!"

"What makes you say that?" Remus asked him in surprise.

"Come on," Sirius grinned. "You mean to tell me, that you haven't wanted to talk to Harry at all?"

Remus shrugged, unconcerned. Yes, he did want to speak to Harry again, after all, he hadn't had a chance to do that since he was small enough to just wrap his fist around a couple of your fingers.

**Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Professor Lupin, looking around his office door.**

**"****What are you doing?" said Lupin, though in a very different voice from Filch. **

"I would think so," Remus said, his voice having a bit of a joke in there.

**"Where are Ron and Hermione?"**

Albus had to chuckle at that. Yes, it is strange to see Harry walking around without having Ron or Hermione there with him.

"Wow," Sirius teased and nudged his foot. "Did you just notice that? Or did you think that there was something wrong with your eyes?"

Remus gave him an unembarrassed look and said, "I was surprised that's all. The three of them were almost always together. It was an odd sight to see him on his own like that."

'_And you don't even have to keep a close eye on Harry to know that,' _Kingsley thought to himself before he heard the next few lines.

**"****Hogsmeade," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice.**

**"****Ah," said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson."**

**"****A what?" said Harry.**

**He followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.**

**"****Water demon," said Lupin, surveying the Grindylow thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. **

"Impressive," commented Minerva thoughtfully. Once again trying to think of a way to get Remus to come back and teach. He'd certainly had been a teacher that everyone loved—much better than the toad could ever be. Though now that she thought of it even a troll would be a better teacher than Umbridge. "You seem to have covered a fair amount in such a short time, Professor Lupin."

Remus smiled, trying not to appear too pleased with himself, and nodded his head in agreement. "I knew that they were all pretty behind on the subject and I had a lot to cover to get them caught up."

**The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."**

'_More damaged fingers?'_ Mad-Eye couldn't help but think. What was with all these hands and fingers running bits? They were appearing too often to just be a fluke.

"I like how you're trying to cheer him up," Arthur said kindly to Remus. "But at the same time you're teaching him something."

**The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner.**

**"****Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."**

**"****All right," said Harry awkwardly.**

"He shouldn't be feeling awkward," Sirius scoffed before he added. "Though Professor Moony does have that effect on people."

"Yeah, Professor Moony," Tonks agreed. "You do have a gift for making people feel awkward when you're around." Now it was Remus's turn to start feeling awkward now when Tonks grinned at him.

Snape sneered, at that line. "Does Potter really feel uncomfortable at the fact that he's your favorite, Lupin?"

"Your kinda the last person to be talking about having favorites, Snape," Moody pointed out for him.

Smirking at the sight of seeing Snape looking angry, Sirius turned to Remus and asked him, "So Harry really didn't know who you were then?"

Tonks then turned and as him, "Why wouldn't you tell him that you were James's friend? I think that Harry would've been glad to know that."

"What? You don't think I wanted to? But tell me, how could I do that?" Remus asked them. "What on earth was I supposed to say? I hadn't seen him since he was a year old and of course he wouldn't remember me. He knew nothing about me, pray, how was I supposed to have told him that I was an old friend of James?"

"The truth seemed like a good way," Sirius stated. "You could've just explained to him who you were and I'm sure that Harry would've been ecstatic to know."

Remus looked away as several others nodded in agreement. "You make it sound so easy."

**Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.**

**"****Sit down," said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid — but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?"**

**Harry looked at him. Lupin's eyes were twinkling.**

"Glad to see that you still have your dry sense of humor," Sirius teased and Remus knocked his shoulder.

**"****How did you know about that?" Harry asked.**

**"****Professor McGonagall told me," said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea. "You're not worried, are you?"**

**"****No," said Harry.**

**He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog he'd seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to.**

"I think that it was probably a good thing that he didn't tell me," Remus said to himself. "I would've known who it was, and that would've only caused more problems."

Or would it? If Harry did tell him, wouldn't he have found it strange that, if it really _was_ Sirius, he didn't do anything? Would he have begun to think that Sirius was innocent back then? He shook the thought away. Even if he did, that's in the past now. Nothing to brood over.

**He didn't want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn't cope with a Boggart.**

Severus looked ready to say that this was proof that Potter had some arrogance, but Albus, who noticed and had a good guess what he was going to say, "It was a self-doubting thought, Severus. Not arrogance."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I never thought he was a coward," said Remus loudly. "Quite the contrary, he has to be the bravest kid I've ever known. Especially after reading the last two books. I know that he's more than capable of handling Boggarts. I was just afraid that if the Boggart faced him that it would be Voldemort and have everyone panic."

"We know that," Kingsley said. "But Harry doesn't. He's got a lot on his mind, and I do hope that he'll tell you what's bothering him."

**Something of Harry's thoughts seemed to have shown on his face, because Lupin said, "Anything worrying you, Harry?"**

"How could you tell that something was bothering him?" Tonks asked him. "You always seem to know when there's something wrong with someone."

"He looked just like James and Lily both did when they were worried about something," Remus said smiling. "Truthfully, Harry's not very good at lying or making up stories."

**"****No," Harry lied. **

"Harry!" several people exclaimed in annoyance.

"Like is said," Remus stated. "He's a bad liar."

**He drank a bit of tea and watched the Grindylow brandishing a fist at him. "Yes," he said suddenly, putting his tea down on Lupin's desk. "You know that day we fought the Boggart?"**

**"Yes," said Lupin slowly.**

**"****Why didn't you let me fight it?" said Harry abruptly.**

"Simple and to the point," Sirius said. "No need to dance around it for an hour before finally getting to it. Thatta boy."

**Lupin raised his eyebrows.**

**"****I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised.**

**Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback.**

Albus frowned for a second—he was wondering why Harry would expect Remus to lie. And then he remembered… from what he learned, no adult had ever been completely honest with him so he shouldn't be surprised that Harry expected this.

"Nah, Moony has never been one for denying the truth, though that doesn't stop him from lying about himself," Sirius sent a pointed a looked at Remus, who stared at him exasperated. "Professor Moony's an expert at lying, but once you figure out something and come right out to say it, he doesn't deny it—except when it has to do about his _'furry little problem'_."

"You just won't let that go will you?" Remus said frustrated.

"You lied to us on where you were going every month for ages until we figured out the truth on our own," Sirius said firmly. "It wasn't until we cornered you did you admit to it."

"I was a little kid, I was used to people looking down on me and abandoning me, I didn't know that you would be different. Normally, when people find out what I am, they don't want anything to do with me. They think I'm a monster and…"

Sirius scoffed. "So was my mother. I've had to deal with her my whole childhood. Really, a werewolf is civilized compared to her."

**"****Why?" he said again.**

**"****Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."**

(Of course, Severus couldn't bring himself to say the name, instead calling him The Dark Lord's.)

**Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore.**

"I do wonder just how that fear of Voldemort's name started," interrupted Kingsley as he began to frown meditatively. "It's only a name, it's not like it can hurt you."

"A stupid name as well," Sirius couldn't help but add.

There were a few moments of silence, and then Albus answered at last. "People believed that saying the name would just increase the chance of him attacking," he said grimly.

"But _not _saying it would just make things worse!" protested Sirius at once before glaring at Snape, "There's also the little fact that his _followers_ are forbidden to speak his name and can only call them their _'Lord'_. Lord of what I wonder? Lord of murderers? Lord of power-hungry monsters perhaps?"

"There are some things in this life we just can't control," Albus told them all sternly as Severus looked away before reading the next line.

**"****Clearly, I was wrong," said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. **

"I'm sorry, Remus," said Sirius holding up a hand to his ear, in mock surprise and astonishment, "But did I just hear you admit that you were wrong about something?"

"Oh, shut up," said Remus grumpily as Sirius burst out laughing.

**"But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."**

**"****I didn't think of Voldemort," said Harry honestly. "I — I remembered those Dementors."**

"Harry must feel comfortable with you, Remus," Albus said pleasantly. "Harry has a difficult time opening up to people and here he is telling you his fears."

"Yep," Tonks said grinning. "He must trust you enough to come right out and talk to you like this."

Remus had to smile at that thought of his former students feeling open enough to talk to him about this, though out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sulky expression that Sirius was giving him. But before he could ask, story-time continued.

**"****I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well… I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is — fear. Very wise, Harry."**

"A wise person is aware that the fear of something is usually worse than the reality and who else besides a brave Gryffindor would have a fear as his worst fear?" said Kingsley thinking that over. "Yes, very wise indeed."

"But why is that wise?" demanded Sirius at once. "I don't blame him at all for being afraid of those things. Yes, I'm afraid of Dementors, and I'm not ashamed of that."

Arthur frowned as he thought it over. "It is strange," he agreed. "Considering everything that he's been through, Voldemort _isn't_ the thing that he fears the most."

"Well," Minerva suddenly said, "I'm sure you've all seen kids panic when they are faced with their worst fears, even if they are just Boggarts and can't really hurt you. It looks like that's what Harry is most afraid of."

Albus was shaking his head slowly. "I'm afraid that it's much more than that," he said sadly, "To be honest, I think what Harry fears the most is what he hears when he encounters a Dementor."

"Well, what is it?" Tonks asked a little confused. "All it said was that he heard screaming. I know that can't be pleasant for him, but it's not the worst thing that it could be can it?"

"Let's just say," Remus said grimly; knowing full well what it was that Harry was hearing. "He fears his own memories the most."

**Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he drank some more tea.**

"Oh, too cute!" cooed Tonks, "He's embarrassed!"

"Harry never does know how to take a compliment," Remus stated.

**"So you've been thinking that I didn't believe you capable of fighting the Boggart?" said Lupin shrewdly.**

**"****Well… yeah," said Harry. He was suddenly feeling a lot happier. "Professor Lupin, you know the Dementors —"**

"Hmm," Sirius grinned with a side-ways glance at the werewolf. "Wonder what he was about to ask."

"Most likely wanting to know what I did to get rid of the Dementors on the train," he answered back calmly.

**He was interrupted by a knock on the door.**

**"****Come in," called Lupin.**

**The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing.**

"Hello to you to," Tonks snickered, not liking how this was going.

Albus looked over at Severus, remembering all too well all the arguments they had about Severus's suspicions on Remus. Though, Albus knew that it also had more to do with his old grudges.

**"****Ah, Severus," said Lupin, smiling. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"**

**Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin.**

**"****I was just showing Harry my Grindylow," said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank.**

**"****Fascinating," said Snape, without looking at it. "You should drink that directly, Lupin."**

"Still being as friendly as always," Sirius growled.

"Actually," Minerva stated with a rather impressed tone. "I thought that he was being uncharacteristically polite for you Severus."

What other choice did he have? Severus rolled his eyes, it was Dumbledore's orders that he be on his best behavior when he was around the other teachers.

**"****Yes, Yes, I will," said Lupin.**

"What was it?" Sirius said narrowing his eyes; thinking perhaps the greasy-haired git was trying to poison his oldest friend.

"It was just the Wolfsbane Potion," he reminded him. "It helped a lot when I was teaching there, made me safe. Which I am still thankful for," he added with a grateful nod to Severus who just continued to look sourly at him.

"Why would that greasy git brew a potion for you?" Sirius couldn't help but ask him, as if it there wasn't anyone else around.

"I'm in the room, Black!" Severus reminded him jerkily.

"Dumbledore must've made him do it," Sirius decided, still ignoring Severus; who read out to try and get him to stop talking.

**"****I made an entire cauldronful," Snape continued. "If you need more."**

**"I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."**

**"Not at all," said Snape, but there was a look in his eye Harry didn't like. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful.**

"Why is Harry acting like he's surprised? He _never_ smiles anyway!" Tonks pointed out.

Albus glanced up at Severus and said politely as if asking for his opinion on what they should have for dinner at Hogwarts. "You know, Severus you really could have saved yourself many insults and pranks had you been a little kinder to the students?" Severus glared at him, wishing that they would all just shut up and leave him alone.

**Harry looked curiously at the goblet. Lupin smiled.**

"Yet, another thing he inherited from Lily," Remus chortled at the memory of the woman. "Her curiosity often got her into a lot of trouble."

"So that's where he gets it from," Molly said grudgingly.

**"****Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering.**

**"****Why —?" Harry began. Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question.**

**"****I've been feeling a bit off-color," he said. **

"No kidding," Mad-Eye said gruffly to Remus who looked at him innocently.

**"This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."**

Snape tensed up, though he was looking around at them all with a rather self-satisfied look. He always hated the fact that Lupin was always so… polite. One of the many things he hated about the man.

"Looks like Harry isn't the only one who doesn't know how to take a compliment, Severus," whispered Albus lightly to him. Severus, not liking that comparison, and wishing that he would hurry up and get to the parts where Black was being insulted, just went back to the book.

**Professor Lupin took another sip and Harry had a crazy urge to knock the goblet out of his hands.**

**"****Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," he blurted out.**

**"****Really?" said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp of potion.**

**"****Some people reckon —" Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, "some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."**

Snape curled his lip as he thought of the wonderful idea and said without looking up, "Potter thinks I was going to poison you, Lupin?" He heard some of the others chuckle, but he also heard Black gave a snort that clearly said that he thought he was more than capable of doing so.

He then heard him say, "Given that it's Severus, that's not hard to imagine it."

**Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.**

**"****Disgusting," he said. "Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. See you at the feast later."**

"It really is disgusting," shuddered Remus just thinking of the vile potion. It tasted like drinking liquefied cat litter. Bit ironic on that… "Still, it's much better than option number 2."

**"****Right," said Harry, putting down his empty teacup.**

**The empty goblet was still smoking.**

"That's a bit of creepy omen isn't it?" Tonks had to say.

**"****There you go," said Ron. "We got as much as we could carry."**

**A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.**

**"****Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"**

**By the sound of it — everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and many places besides.**

**"****The post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"**

"No," Mad-Eye muttered with sarcasm. "They aren't bragging at all."

**"****Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look —"**

**"****We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks —"**

**"****Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up —"**

Molly was looking concerned. "They're not being very thoughtful," she said, "They're just telling him everything that he's missing."

"They're excited," said Arthur persuasively. "I'm sure Harry understands that."

**"****What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?"**

**"****No," said Harry. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in…"**

**He told them all about the goblet. Ron's mouth fell open.**

_**"**__**Lupin drank it?"**_** he gasped. **_**"Is he mad?"**_

"Many people think so," Remus said coolly.

**Hermione checked her watch.**

**"****We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes." They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.**

**"****But if he — you know —" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to — to poison Lupin — he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry."**

"Wouldn't bet on that," Sirius spoke in an undertone. "Wouldn't put it pass him to try something like that."

**"****Yeah, maybe," said Harry as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.**

**The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything.**

Right on cue, Sirius's stomach began to howl in hunger and he had to wonder just when they would finish up to have dinner.

Remus, who heard the growl, grinned and said, "We should be finishing this book up soon, Padfoot. Just be patient a little longer."

"Easy for you to say," he told him. "I have years to catch up on proper eating."

**Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snape's eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural?**

"Too attentive for his own good," Severus had to say, a vein was pulsing in his forehead.

**The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.**

**It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, "The Dementors send their love, Potter!"**

"Please Malfoy," spat Sirius harshly. "Like you wouldn't scream for your 'daddy' if you were within ten feet of a Dementor."

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.**

**"****Why isn't anyone going in?" said Ron curiously.**

Molly gasped. "'Flight of the Fat Lady'!" she quoted, suddenly remembering the title of the chapter. "Oh no, what happened to her?" The whole room was suddenly tense again, and Severus read into total silence as Sirius was looking sick again.

**Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed.**

**"****Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password — excuse me, I'm Head Boy —"**

Sirius snorted very quietly, but otherwise stayed silent, knowing what was about to happen here. He still cursed himself for what he did that night—he didn't have the slightest clue to what was going through his head when he attacked.

**And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."**

"Wonder what happened here," Mad-Eye said with interest.

"Whatever did, it can't be good," both Kingsley and Arthur said at the same time.

**People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.**

**"****What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.**

**A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; **

"For an old guy, you sure do get around awfully fast, Dumbledore," Mad-Eye stated and Albus had to chuckle at that.

"Years of practice," he told him calmly.

**the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.**

**"****Oh, my —" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.**

**The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely. **

"Oh, that's just awful!" exclaimed Molly, looking upset as Tonks gasped. Severus saw the distraught look on Sirius face and continued reading with a self-satisfied smirk.

**Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.**

"Who could have done that though?" Arthur asked in amazement.

"This chapter's almost done," Severus said annoyed. "Let me finish before you all start talking. I want to get this over with."

**"****We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."**

Albus sighed just thinking of it; that had most certainly been a very long and sleepless night.

**"****You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.**

**It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.**

**"****What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. **

**"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing." he added unconvincingly.**

**"****Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.**

Sirius closed his eyes in self-disgust, knowing what was coming next. He shut his eyes and screwed up his face… and sure enough…

**"****Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."**

There was a stunned silence, as everyone turned to stare at Sirius who had his face in his hands.

"What the hell are you doing trying to get into Gryffindor Tower, Black?" asked Mad-Eye uncharacteristically calm.

"YES, WHAT?!" shrieked Molly, "Just what do you think you were doing? Attacking the Fat Lady and trying to get into the tower? You might've just left a giant sign saying that you are after Harry!"

"I know!" Sirius called out looking up at her, his voice sounding desperate. "I just lost it! She wouldn't let me in, and I just… snapped."

"But why were you trying to get into the tower?" Kingsley asked him in his calm voice that relaxed them all.

"I promise you that there was a good reason," continued Sirius looking exhausted, "I tried to ask her politely to let me in and then I would leave long before any of the Gryffindors got back, she kept refusing no matter what I said and I lost my temper. I didn't mean to attack her."

Sirius crossed his arms and looked to kill; thinking of the boy he once protected and loved like a brother just like the other members of the marauders that had betrayed them all. He knew that Peter was in there… just beyond that picture and he couldn't even get to him. Once he attacked he turned and ran, hoping that it was just a bad dream… instead, it was just part of his living nightmare.

"That's true," Remus said thinking that over. "You always did act first and think later when you were desperate and it was urgent but you couldn't do anything about it. That's something that you need to work on."

"Yeah," Tonks said thinking it over. "But why were you trying to get in there? Were you trying to tell Harry about who it really was who killed his parents?"

"Yes… and no," Sirius said grimly. If he ever got his name cleared, he promised himself that he would apologize to the Fat Lady.

"But still, Black," Mad-Eye said looking at him with disappointment. "I would've thought that you had enough sense. You know everyone thinks you're trying to kill Potter! Attacking that painting only made you look even guiltier. Innocent men don't act like that."

"I know!" Sirius yelled at him. "I told you that I just lost it! I don't know what came over me, I just couldn't help it. I ran off after Peeves showed up and been hiding in the forest ever since."

"And I thought all Gryffindors were supposed to be brave," Severus said as he put the book down, signaling that the chapter was done and he leaned back to enjoy Sirius being told off.

No one said anything for a long time. Tonks on the other hand leaned over, and picked up the book. "Look," she said, seeing the torment look on her cousin's face. "This already happened. There's no point arguing like this. I say let's just keep reading 'cause I want to know what happens next."

She spun the book in her hands and said, "Let's just keep going as far as we can and see what happens. It's the end of the chapter, so I'm going next."

And before anyone could say anything she read out, "**Chapter 9: Grim Defeat**."


	13. Grim Defeat

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 11: Grim Defeat**

And before anyone could say anything she read out, "**Chapter 9: Grim Defeat**."

Severus couldn't help but smirk at that, knowing that this would have to be the chapter where Gryffindor lost, though he had enough sense to look away once Albus and Minerva gave him stern looks.

"Grim Defeat?" Kingsley repeated mildly. "That sounds… depressing."

"That sounds like Quidditch," Molly said suspiciously. "It must be the first match of the year… oh," she looked at Minerva and asked in surprise, "They don't… lose do they?"

"That doesn't sound like Harry," Kingsley said thinking it over. "If there's one thing we learned from him, it's that he doesn't give up—especially when it comes to a Quidditch game."

"So Harry loses his first game on top of everything else?" Tonks asked shaking her head with pity. "It couldn't have been that bad? What happened? I think someone cheated or else Harry never would've…"

Minerva frowned, not looking forward to seeing their expressions… but they were going to find out anyway… so taking a deep breath told them all, "It was terrible. Potter was almost killed that day; we were just lucky that that Headmaster was there to put a stop to it before it was fatal."

Those who weren't there at the match had all gone very pale and Molly actually gasped and took hold of Arthur's shaking hand, looking petrified. "What on earth happened!?" she cried out hysterically. "It was just a game, how could he have almost died?"

"Look, he survived," Severus said, though it was surprising that he said it without his usual hatred for the boy.

Sirius was this close to cracking under all the emotions these books had brought him. The only thought that kept him from losing his mind was that he knew that Harry was just fine… or was he? Was he really alright? No, he couldn't see how anyone could be after all this! How on earth could you go though all these traumas when you were only a kid and come through without any problems? Harry was only fifteen right now… but ten galleons say that he's been in more fights to the death than the rest of that school put together…

He gulped as he remembered that match… he heard the distance screams of the crowd from his hiding place in the forest and knew right away that the first match had begun… he couldn't resist himself. He had to go and see. He wanted to see his godson flying. He remembered trying to watch them through the heavy rain, and Harry was just a red and gold blur flying around the Quidditch pitch. But he just wanted to be there no matter what, to see if he flied like his father did. And turns out, he _did_ fly like James. No, even better. He never saw anything like it—despite the rain and the heavy wind, he was still soaring better than his father ever had.

His happy thoughts soon faded as he remembered what happened next. He shuddered at the thought, wrapping his arms around his chest as if he was freezing… just thinking about it was painful for him. He felt Remus's hand on his shoulder and they shared a sadden look.

As for Remus, he wasn't able to go to the match because he was still recovering from the full moon, but after hearing what happened, he was suddenly glad that he didn't have to see it. He couldn't remember feeling so utterly worthless…

Arthur didn't know what to think. He couldn't imagine their lives without Harry, and it was very upsetting to even try. Harry had impacted all their lives and made such an impression time and time again, there was just no way they could ever abandon him. He was in desperate need of a family, and Arthur knew that his own had already thought of him as a son or a brother… no, didn't matter if they liked it or not, Harry was part of their family and they were always going to care for him.

Molly shook slightly against him and he knew what she was thinking. This… all of this and none of this was fair. How could anyone actually expected a child to go through this? She didn't know what to think or how to protect her family anymore.

Tonks shifted miserably in her chair, suddenly wishing that she didn't volunteer to read. She was just thinking about karma… what on earth could've Harry had done to deserve this? Nothing in this life… but maybe he did something real bad in a past life? Like try to take over the world or something? She smiled grimly at the pathetic attempt to cheer herself up. Oh, well, no point crying over past lives. She could only hope that things would get better soon.

After a few minutes of silence, Molly finally whispered, "Thank you. Thank you for saving him, Dumbledore."

"Yeah," Sirius growled. "One of the only few things you've done right."

If Albus heard them, he barely registered it… it was almost like he forgotten that they were even there.

Tonks cleared her throat and with a brave effort, starting reading again.

**Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.**

"That's how all Slytherins usually look anyway," Sirius drawled unhappily and Severus hissed furiously at him.

**"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. **

There were several snorts of disgust in the air at Percy's behavior, and the two Weasley's were shaking their heads and became tense and miserable just like every other time that their third son was mentioned. Thankfully, no one said anything about Percy… not out loud at least.

**"Send word with one of the ghosts."**

**Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"**

**One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.**

"It's like a giant sleepover!" Tonks called out happily. "Maybe you should do that more often!"

Albus was finally able to look up at her with a chuckle. "That might be a good idea. It might help bring the Houses together."

Severus shivered at that idea… knowing that the only reason why the students didn't all kill each other that night was because they all believed that a murderer was still in the castle. He didn't think that they would be able to resist causing problems if the whole school had to spend the night in once place again for no reason.

**"****Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.**

**The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.**

**"****Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"**

"He really thinks that people will listen to him?" laughed Sirius, knowing full well that you can't really expect people to just settle down after they've been told that a supposed killer had tried to get into a common room.

"If he had managed to get everyone quiet and go to sleep within those ten minutes without having to resort to magic, I would've let him be in charge of discipline," said Minerva shaking her head and looking specifically at Sirius. "I've been trying for years and find that's the only reliable way."

"Oh, I'm flattered," Sirius joked.

**"****C'mon," Ron said to Harry and Hermione; they seized three sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.**

**"****Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.**

"Unlikely," Remus couldn't help but say, with a sideways glance at Sirius. "But knowing you…?"

"Nope," Sirius said making a popping sound. "I left as soon as I realized that I couldn't get into the tower. Once Peeves showed up I knew that I had to get out of there while I still had the chance."

"How did you get in the castle in the first place?" Arthur had to ask. It seemed incredible with all the security measures that everyone took, Sirius was still able to break in somehow.

"The same way I got out," he said with a slight tease in his voice.

"But why would you want to get into the tower in the first place?" Molly had to ask him, getting frustrated that no one was explaining what was happening here.

"You will find out later," Remus said quickly, sparing Sirius the task of telling her. He didn't think that she needed to know who Scabbers really was just yet.

**"****Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.**

"No," Albus said, "I honestly didn't think that you would've lingered once you were discovered. But I thought that it would be for the best it to search just in case."

"You didn't have to bother," Sirius grumbled.

"Yes, Sirius," Albus said softly. "We've been over this. I know that NOW."

**"****It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower…"**

"I picked Halloween for a reason," Sirius frowned. "Luck had nothing to do with it; I had planned it for that night."

Remus was confused for a moment before he realized what Sirius was talking about. Sirius chose Halloween for the night to try and kill Peter, not just because he knew that the common room would've been empty, but because it was when James and Lily died. Of course that it would be perfect night revenge.

**"****I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."**

"I'm not that crazy! I knew that it would be suicide if I burst into the Great Hall!" Sirius yelled. "Though I have to admit, it's easy to lose track of the time on the run!"

He suddenly turned to them all and asked, "Did you all really think that I was _that_ insane? That I was really going to burst in the middle of a feast where all the teachers and students were?"

"No," Minerva admitted. "Though you didn't exactly look innocent when you attacked the Fat Lady."

"I told you all…"

"That you didn't mean it," Albus said for him. "We know that, but we didn't know that back then did we? But try to see it from our point of view, Sirius. When you attacked the Fat Lady and tried to get into the tower that night, you made it look as if you were planning on hiding in the Gryffindor common room until Harry came back and would've tried to kill him then."

"It was difficult to believe that you were innocent back then," Minerva agreed. "All your actions just screamed out 'violent murderer.'"

Remus sighed as he said, "I'm sorry Sirius. I should've known that you attacked _knowing_ that it was Halloween and that the tower would be empty… I just never thought that…" Sirius darted him a surprised glance, and his anger seemed to fade away to one of guilt after seeing the depressed look on his face.

"It's ok," Sirius said in a much softer tone then he used before now. "I'm the one who should be sorry. Not that I'm making excuses, but Azkaban's done something to me."

For several minutes, silence stretched on as the others considered it. "So, if Sirius wasn't looking for Harry, what _was _he looking for?" Molly asked at last—still not sure what was happening.

"The real question is, Molly," Albus disagreed softly. "Is _who_ was he looking for? He was looking for the very person he broke out of Azkaban to get revenge for."

Molly drew in her breath sharply in a sound that was almost a sob.

"Yes," nodded Mad-Eye thinking it over, "On Halloween night—everyone who is _supposed _to be at the school—would've been in the Great Hall."

"So, how…?" asked Molly, her eyes wide, suddenly wishing that she hadn't asked. "You can't mean to tell me that Pettigrew was there?!"

"Right in one," Sirius snarled bitterly.

"But surely," Molly gasped as she turned to Dumbledore who's eyes lost the twinkle, "You would've known he was there!"

"You keep forgetting that Peter is an unregistered Animargus like Sirius," Albus said as Sirius growled at being compared to Peter. "He can turn into a rat, and we were all sure that he was dead at the time. If we had known…" Albus trailed off.

"So Peter had been a rat in the Gryffindor…" Kingsley trailed off, his eyes widen in horror as he looked over to the Weasleys in understanding.

"And your point?" Arthur asked as an awful realization came to him. Scabbers had disappeared after this year… but he remembered Fred and George telling him and telling him that Hermione's cat had eaten him… so Scabbers couldn't be… could he?

"I think we should continue," Albus said to Tonks. "I am sure that we will learn everything later on."

Still looking confused, Tonks went back to the book.

**Hermione shuddered.**

**All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"**

"That is a good question," Arthur said looking at him, desperate for anything to distract him from the other thought on who Scabbers might've been. "We keep asking you, but why don't you want to answer?"

"It's nothing too impressive," Sirius said wearily. "If you really want to know, I used one of the passageways to sneak in. There's one that leads all the way from the cellar of Honeydukes to the castle."

Tonks looked surprised and asked, "Really? I never knew that."

"I'm not surprised," he said with a ghost of a grin. "No one ever learned more about the school then we Marauders."

"Still as modest as ever," Severus growled, determine to now find this secret passageway and seal it up.

"But Remus," Kingsley questioned the werewolf a little surprised. "I thought that you would've told someone about that? Wouldn't you have told someone about that passageway after Sirius got in? And that he was an Animagus?"

Remus nodded his head. "I tried… but I… I couldn't bring myself to say it."

"Why?" Tonks asked, looking up at him. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but why couldn't you tell anyone?"

Remus sighed as he felt Sirius's hands on his shoulder in a comforting way—as if to say, 'Thanks.'

"Well," Remus said with a sad look at Dumbledore. "I couldn't tell you Albus about the passages or what Sirius was capable of. I-I was terrified to tell you the truth about anything from our school years." He looked down in shame; "It would've meant that I betrayed your trust… and your trust… you don't know just how much that has meant to me… after everything you've done for me…" he trailed off, unable to look up anymore.

"Remus," Albus said kindly. "I understand. Believe me, I understand how hard this must've been for you. I know how much you appreciated being allowed to go to school, and the job that I appointed to you later on. I would've understood completely… and in hindsight, it's a good thing that you never told me this otherwise we might've caught Sirius sooner without knowing the truth."

"So, you were really protecting me by not telling him," Sirius whispered to Remus, who quirked his mouth slightly as most of them nodded in understanding at how difficult this must've been for him.

Tonks smiled at Remus and tried to catch his eye, but when he didn't look up, she went on reading—though a little disappointed.

**"****Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."**

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Minerva scowled. "Albus? We should make it mandatory for them to read, _'Hogwarts: A History!'_ It would save a lot of explaining… I can't tell you just how many times I've had to go over this… you can't Apparate in or out of Hogwarts. I expected a Ravenclaw to know this!"

"Obviously not a very smart Ravenclaw," Mad-Eye scoffed. "I think he was placed in the wrong House."

**"****Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.**

"Oh, not a bad guess," Sirius stated.

"And he's a Hufflepuff!" Tonks beamed. "This kid and Hermione are proof that you don't have to be in Ravenclaw to be smart!"

"Yeah, look at that kid who thought that you could Apparate in Hogwarts," Mad-Eye stated coolly.

**"****He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.**

**"****Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.**

"Like I said," Minerva stated. "We should make it mandatory."

Albus chuckled at her and she rounded on him. "What is so funny might I ask?"

"You, Minerva," he said smiling. "You know Miss Granger reminds me of you when you were her age."

Minerva blinked in surprise several times as she thought back to the little girl she used to be and how she was almost obsessive with studying. Sirius suddenly whispered for Remus's ears, "Does that mean that Hermione's going to turn out to be just like McGonagall?"

"It's possible?" Remus said with a slight grin. Sirius shook his head. He pitied the poor man who would marry her and foolishly trying make her angry.

**"****Probably," said Ron. "Why?"**

**"****Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered…"**

"Well, Hermione, you're almost right," said Sirius grimly, transforming where he sat and the great black dog looked around at them all impressively. When Sirius changed back into himself and commented bleakly, "I was able to slip through onto the grounds through the Forbidden Forest so I never had to go pass the Dementors. Earlier that day I slipped through the secret passage in Hogsmeade and right into Hogwarts."

"That explains a great deal," Minerva muttered.

**"****The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"**

"Yeah right," snorted Tonks. "Like anyone could stop talking if they thought that there was a madman loose in the castle."

"Which there was if I remember correctly," Remus said grinning as Sirius punched him.

"Watch it!" he grinned.

**The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.**

**Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.**

Albus shook his head with a slight smile on his face, disappointed in himself. He should have known Harry was still awake and listening in.

"Why am I not surprised that he was eavesdropping?" Severus asked disapprovingly, and Minerva simply sighed, as if to say, _'of course he was.'_

"I blame you," said Minerva to Albus. "What were you thinking talking about something like this where the whole school could've been listening? You should've at least talked outside the hall."

Albus nodded. "Yes, however in my defense, it was a long night, and I had thought that they were all asleep by then."

**"****Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.**

**"****No. All well here?"**

**"****Everything under control, sir."**

**"****Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."**

**"****And the Fat Lady, sir?"**

"You better hope that she's alright!" Molly threatened Sirius who looked down ashamed of his actions. Yes, if he ever got his name cleared, the first thing he was going to apologize to her.

"She was fine, Molly," Albus assured her. "Once we had found her and had her cleaned up, she calmed down." Sirius let out a sigh of relief.

**"****Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."**

"Sirius?" Minerva scolded

"I had a good reason!" Sirius yelled unhappily. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it!"

**Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.**

**"****Headmaster?" It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."**

_'Of course Potter was listening to that,'_ Snape sneered to himself. He couldn't help but wonder just how many people were still awake and listening that night…?

**"****What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"**

**"****All searched…"**

**"****Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."**

"And yet you still had the whole castle searched?" Tonks had to ask him.

"Of course," Moody answers with his special growl he reserved just for Dumbledore. "Better to make sure he was gone instead of just guessing it and paying the price later on."

Sirius opened his mouth to tell him off, but Tonks was already reading again.

**"****Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.**

**Harry raised his head very slightly off his arms to free his other ear.**

**"****Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."**

"I would like to have heard some of your theories," Sirius smirked and Albus laughed quietly.

"All of which are nowhere near close to the truth," he guaranteed him.

**Harry opened his eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to him, but he could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.**

**"****You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before — ah — the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.**

Severus raised his eyebrows slightly as several others looked impressed. Severus was secretly impressed that Potter could tell something like that from his surroundings, while others were thinking that he would make an excellent Auror with a few more years of training.

**"****I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.**

**"****It seems — almost impossible — that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed —"**

"You're making it sound like you thought Remus was helping Sirius inside," Tonks asked Severus sharply, who just sighed in annoyance.

"It appears so," Remus said calmly, unsurprised by this.

"Oh, I can get inside without help," Sirius said growled angrily at Snape again. "You're only bitter that you couldn't catch me, so you're trying to get Remus sacked!"

Severus stared stonily back as Remus sighed.

"Why can't you leave him alone?!" Tonks carried on furiously. "You know that he would never do that! And for goodness sake, he has enough to worry about without you there breathing down his neck! You think that life's been easy for him? He can't find a decent paying job without being all this ridiculous prejudice! Don't you even think about ruining it for him, you jerk!" Tonks took several deep breaths as she got ready to go on until Remus, looking stunned by her words, reached across Sirius and took her hand.

"It's ok," he told her soothingly. For some reason, his voice seemed to calm her down and she felt her rage disappear as soon as her hand felt his own. "I can understand," Remus went on gently when their eyes met. "Technically, we were best friends at school. And a friendship like that is easy to ignore, but not to forget."

Sirius smacked Remus on the back of his head. "Don't talk like we _were_ friends. We are _still_ friends."

Remus rubbed his head and looked at Severus. "Anyway, I can understand why you would think that I would be helping Sirius. But I didn't. And I wouldn't if he was really after Harry."

"Will I think it also explains why you were looking at Remus and Harry so curiously," Minerva said to Severus thoughtfully.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked bemused.

"When he saw the two of them in Remus's office, he was looking at you funny," she said looking from Severus to Remus.

"Yeah," Remus said remembering. "So you thought I was trying to hurt Harry too, or something?"

"As if I could ever trust you," Severus snarled.

"I think it has more to do with you being a greasy git having personal problems with Professor Moony," Sirius said viciously. "It's just a school grudge for crying out loud, yet, you wanted me back in Azkaban and Remus fired."

Severus grunted, though it was impossible for him not to privately agree on this one.

**"****I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply. "I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."**

**"****Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.**

"I wouldn't ask for their kind of help!" Sirius yelled, his face turning an ashen color at the idea of those things in the school because of him.

"Neither would I," Albus said, his voice turning unexpectedly cold.

**"****Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."**

"You tell 'em!" cheered Tonks, as Albus couldn't help but nodded, still in agreement with his past self.

"Dementors in the school?" Molly thought it over before shuddering. "I would've pulled my children out right away if that was the case! That'd be like a feeding ground for them!"

Everyone cringed at the mental picture that Molly gave them and Tonks hurriedly began to read again.

**Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.**

**Harry glanced sideways at Ron and Hermione. Both of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.**

**"****What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.**

"Of course all three would have heard all of that, not just Potter," Severus said rolling his eyes.

**The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. **

"Why am I not surprise?" sneered Severus.

"Nice to know I'm still popular" Sirius said, trying to lighten the mood and working slightly when he got a few grins though they were a bit strained.

**The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.**

They all burst out laughing as Sirius held onto his middle from laughing. Oh, it was good to just laugh and to forget—even for a brief moment. "Just for the record," he gasped after about 30 seconds of non-stop laughing, "That is something I can't do."

"That's not that bad of a guess," Tonks grinned playfully at him and leaning her head on his shoulder. "Personally, I think that it was the closest guess to the truth I've heard yet."

Sirius let out another round of laughter before Tonks felt the need to read.

**The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony.**

They all groaned simultaneously, the hilarity they had fading almost instantly.

"Oh, not him…" Arthur muttered, "Of all the paintings…"

Sirius shook his head solemnly with a grimace on his face. "What have I done?" he moaned, covering his face. "Those poor kids. Oh, now I'm really sorry about what I did."

**Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.**

**"****He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"**

**"****None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."**

"Brave enough?" Sirius snorted at the thought. "More like mental!"

"Or just stupid enough to face, Black," Mad-Eye said lightly, causing Sirius to snort again.

**Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of Harry's worries. He was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him, and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. **

Remus sighed, stunned by how noticeable everyone could be. Harry noticed entirely too much of the things he wasn't supposed to on his own and this wasn't exactly helping things.

"Yes, I can see how that would get just a little irritating," smiled Kingsley.

"A little?" repeated Mad-Eye, "More like dead annoying."

Albus sighed sadly at that. Harry had always been closely watched… but that year it was so obvious. He could imagine just how bothersome it must have been for Harry to not be able to walk down a corridor without someone there watching his every move.

**To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Harry thought someone must have died.**

Sirius whistled lowly, "Poor kid."

"He wasn't in trouble," she told him sternly. "I just thought that I should've told him the truth so that he would be on guard."

"Good idea," Mad-Eye said. "Good thing he already knew."

"Still, she shouldn't have scared him by summoning him to her office," Sirius added in a whisper for Remus's ears alone. "Surviving McGonagall is like surviving a dragon attack. Only her victims truly understand the horror."

Remus let out a shout of laughter which caused them all to stare at him, startled. "Nothing, it's nothing!" he told them all with a cheerful look at Sirius.

**"****There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter," she said in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black —"**

"Is not after him," Sirius said firmly, and everyone in the room nodded, but we're all looking deeply tired of him shouting this out.

**"****I know he's after me," said Harry wearily. **

"I am not!" Sirius objected.

"Sirius, do you plan on interrupting every time we hear you accused of something?" Arthur asked, though not unkindly. "If so, then it looks like you'll be doing it a lot later on."

"You would too if you were in my place," Sirius grumbled.

**"I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic."**

**Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback.**

"That takes talent don't you agree?" smirked Remus. "You really should know by now that Harry has an uncanny ability to do that doesn't he?"

Minerva nodded a little grudgingly. "Yes, I really should be used to these kinds of situations from him."

**She stared at Harry for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well, in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter —"**

Severus's jaw dropped at that line. Minerva MUST have been worried to even consider doing something that might disrupt her precious Quidditch practice. She loved Quidditch more than any of the Gryffindors…

"What?" protested Sirius at once. "But he has to practice!"

Molly turned to him and fixed him with a glare. "Surely, I thought you of all people, Sirius," she said coldly, "Would've thought that Harry's safety more important than the Quidditch Cup?"

"Well, of course," Sirius said yelled back just as angrily. "But he was never in any danger from me! Makes no since not to let him play when he loves it so much! Jeez, you just keep taking every privilege he loves away! He can't visit Hagrid or go to Hogsmeade… now you want to stop him from playing Quidditch? Why not just lock him in Gryffindor Tower and leave him if you're all so worried?"

That got several people to look away ashamed of themselves. Now that they thought of it, it made sense why Harry would break the rules… just a little bit of freedom… was that too much to ask?

**"****We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!"**

**Professor McGonagall considered him intently. Harry knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects; it had been she, after all, who'd suggested him as Seeker in the first Place. He waited, holding his breath.**

**"****Hmm…"Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch field, just visible through the rain. "Well… goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last… but all the same, Potter… I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."**

**The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.**

**"****We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry.**** "****Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."**

"That's not so bad I guess," Tonks said, thinking that at least Harry wasn't going to lose to them. "At least he won't lose his first match against Slytherin. If he did, then he would never have a moment's peace."

"Why though?" asked Arthur, though he was already guessing the answer.

**"****Why?" chorused the rest of the team.**

**"****Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. **

"Why that has to be the biggest load of crap I've ever heard!" Sirius yelled furious. "It's obvious why they're doing this! They're too scared to play against Gryffindor so they're blaming it all on a fake injury!"

"That's messed up," Kingsley said, shaking his head. "You can't pull something like that when they're that close to a match. If his arm was actually injured, then he would still be in the Hospital Wing, and even then, they should have to just play a reserve Seeker!"

"Coward," Mad-Eye shook his head. "Malfoy won't last two seconds out in the real world. Out there, he won't be able to rely on his money and fake injuries for everything."

**"But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances…"**

**There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.**

**"****There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!"**

**"****I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, **

"Why couldn't you do something?" Sirius demanded of Albus who sighed.

"There wasn't much I could do about it. To be honest, Slytherin didn't have a reserve Seeker then, and Hufflepuff was more than willing to play."

"Well, you should've at least told the Gryffindors before this!" Tonks said coldly.

"I'm afraid," Minerva said rather stiffly, "That Mr. Flint didn't inform me of this until the morning before this conversation had to have happened. I tried to say something but…" she looked over at Severus who looked away innocently.

"I should've known that you had something to do with this," Sirius snarled as he leaned back in his seat. There wasn't any more need to explain. Just say the name 'Snape' and he knew that the greasy git would be involved.

**"And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory —"**

Albus shut his eyes in remembrance of Cedric. His death was horrible and brought the reality of the war so much closer. To actually sink that low and murder someone just because they were there at the wrong time… he couldn't think of any sin lower than that.

**Angelina, Alicia, and Katie suddenly giggled.**

**"****What?" said Wood, frowning at this lighthearted behavior.**

**"****He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.**

**"****Strong and silent," said Katie, and they started to giggle again.**

"He sounded cute," Tonks said sadly.

At those words, Remus felt a pang of annoyance, followed quickly by guilt when he thought of Cedric. No, he was had always been one of his best students while he was a teacher. He shook his head, at the thought of the first victim in the second war.

**"****He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"**

"Don't underestimate us! We aren't a bunch of idiots like everyone says we are. We are extremely loyal, smart, and you won't see anyone working harder than us!" Tonks said with a furious pride.

Sirius clapped her on the back and Kingsley said in his deep voice, "Well said."

**"****We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"**

**"****Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."**

**The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.**

**"****Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows.**

"Yeah, that's a tragedy," scoffed Arthur, looking absolutely disgusted at the behavior of the miniature of Lucius.

"I think the real problem is that he doesn't have an intelligent thought in his head," Tonks muttered under her breath.

"If he was a real Quidditch player, then he would take off those bandages and play. It just proves that he couldn't play to save his life," Sirius growled.

Severus was now getting real irritated that they kept insulting his House and was ready to tell them all off until he heard Tonks say:

**Harry had no room in his head to worry about anything except the match tomorrow. **

Albus sighed unhappily; wishing that games was all Harry had to worry about. Albus had a bad feeling, especially with everything that had happened so far that year, that something was bound to happen at the game. And then he remembered what happened to the last few Quidditch matches that Harry had been in… yes, he had every right to worry.

That was why he went down to watch the match. He wanted to make sure that nothing would happen… but why didn't he think about the Dementors? He felt the need to smack himself for not thinking ahead.

Dementors align with whoever's the strongest… how Fudge could be foolish enough to trust them was beyond him.

**Oliver Wood kept hurrying up to him between classes and giving him tips. The third time this happened, Wood talked for so long that Harry suddenly realized he was ten minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and set off at a run with Wood shouting after him, "Diggory's got a very fast swerve, Harry, so you might want to try looping him —"**

"Now I can see why Fred and George call him obsessed," Molly sighed. "I understand that he wants to win, but he's taking it a bit too far."

**Harry skidded to a halt outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, pulled the door open, and dashed inside.**

**"****Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin. I —"**

**But it wasn't Professor Lupin who looked up at him from the teacher's desk; it was Snape.**

"Oh, sweet Merlin," several people groaned, and Severus grinned slightly. As far as he was concerned, he should've been teaching that class right from the start.

"Oh great, why are _you_ there?" Sirius growled.

"Teaching, Black," Severus said indifferently.

"Again, I ask," Sirius said aggravated. "Why are _you_ there? Shouldn't you have been staking your victims in some dungeon somewhere?"

"It was the full moon," Remus informed him suddenly, "I was recovering and Severus agreed to take over while I was unavailable."

"Great, I'm sure that you'll make them all feel real welcomed," Tonks said sarcastically.

**"****This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."**

**But Harry didn't move.**

"That's my boy!" Sirius shouted proudly. "Don't listen to a word that greasy git tells you!"

"Don't argue with him," Tonks disagreed while Severus was clenching his hands, as if itching to place them around Sirius's neck. "You're just going to regret it later!"

**"****Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.**

**"****He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"**

"Wow, Snape could you be happier that Mooney somewhere and suffering from his monthly transformations?" Sirius glared at him.

Severus looked ready to respond with a sarcastic remark, but Tonks continues before he could utter a sound.

**But Harry stayed where he was.**

**"****What's wrong with him?"**

**Snape's black eyes glittered.**

**"****Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it were. **

"Well," Remus said, rubbing his wrists. "I wouldn't say that. Being a werewolf is no picnic. Especially since I have to lock myself up and am reduced to attacking myself. They are very painful Severus, and most often die from them sooner or later. But as you can see," he ran his hand through his graying hair, "They still take their toll."

"I didn't know that," Tonks said, going pale at the thought of Remus dying because of his own _'condition.'_ "Is it really that horrible?"

Remus shuddered at the memories, and at the thought of what was waiting for him in just a few weeks. "You have no idea."

Everyone frowned when Remus refused to go into further details. No one deserved that kind of pain, especially someone as kind-hearted as Remus. Snape just scoffed and rolled his eyes, not wanting to feel any sympathy for the wolf. Tonks smiled sadly at Remus and took his hand; which he tensed up slightly before relaxing.

Sirius suddenly had an idea and ducked underneath them both and pulled Remus to sit in the middle.

"SIRIUS!" he yelled in surprise.

"What?" he asked with mock confusion. "I was getting a little tired of you two having to reach across me to touch each other. This way, it's easier for us all."

Kingsley, Mad-Eye, Arthur, and Molly all laughed at the red looks on the couple's faces and Albus also smiled serenely at the pair. Remus looked at Tonks and turned his head away, wondering how best to get Sirius back for this—though also secretly glad that Sirius did this.

**"Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."**

**Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.**

**"****As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far —"**

**"****Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we're just about to start —"**

"He's not gonna listen," Sirius said bitterly before asking him, "Could you be any more of a jerk?"

"I don't remember asking you for your opinion on how I teach, Black," he said silkily.

**"****Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."**

Sirius snorted yet again. "Moony and disorganized can't even go in the same sentence! He's the most organized person on earth! How much do I want to bet that you didn't even bother looking?"

"I didn't need to," Severus answered. "I had a lesson planned for them."

Sirius's eyes widen and he stood up, fury coursing through him, "You didn't…"

"Didn't what?" Severus asked coldly. "You need to be more specific, Black."

"You're going to teach them about werewolves to get them to figure out what Remus is," he growled. That was going too far! Didn't he already explain to this git that HE was the one who told him to go through the Whomping willow and that Remus had no part of it? Merlin, that is just evil! To actually try to get everyone to hate someone just when he finally got a good a job that he loved? That is ten times as cruel as any of the pranks that he and James pulled on Snape while they were at school.

First, he was blaming Harry for things that happened years before his godson was even born, and now he was trying to make Remus's life completely miserable because he used to be Sirius's friend! Just what on earth did this guy do to earn Dumbledore's trust? Why not fired Snape and make work somewhere else? Like another country? No wait, he didn't want some foreign kids to suffer… how about another planet?

Mad-Eye gave Dumbledore a bored look and declared, "Great going, Dumbledore, having the one teacher that everyone hates substitute the one they all like." Snape glared at them all—so close to just getting up and leaving.

**"****He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. **

Remus blushed, feeling quite touched to hear all that, and everyone gave him beaming smiles and some quick praise, except Severus of course who was looking like he was about to throw-up.

**Snape looked more menacing than ever.**

**"****You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you — I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss —"**

"Well excuse them for being forced to have two pathetic excuses for teachers for their first two years," Sirius said angrily, he didn't know how much more of this he could take. He wanted to stop reading already and call it a day so that he wouldn't have to look at Snape's face any longer.

**Harry watched him flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know they hadn't covered.**

**"— ****werewolves," said Snape.**

Sirius swore loudly and Tonks was looking murderous as she was about to through the book down and attack him.

"I can't believe you!" Sirius yelled as he reached into his pocket for his wand, eyes alight with fury that anyone could act like this over something that happened years ago. Even Minerva and Kingsley looked furious about what Severus was obviously trying to do.

Albus on the other hand didn't look angry… just… disappointed. But he held up his wand and said, "Sirius, I understand your anger, but please… why don't we all read just one more chapter after this and then we can stop for today before things get violent?"

If there was one thing that he hated, it was how calm Dumbledore was taking this, honestly, if Sirius had his way, then not only would Snape be dead, but so would the Dursleys … along with Bellatrix, the Malfoys, and Voldemort too of course. Though a great effort that felt like was going to tear him in half, he sat down, but still fuming and cursing at Snape in his mind.

He hoped that Snape was hearing it if he dared tried to look in his head.

**"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start Hinkypunks —"**

**"****Miss Granger," said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you.**

Albus frowned at Snape who seemed to be determined to keep his eyes on the book in Tonks's hands.

"I would hardly call you bullying your students teaching," Sirius hissed. "I bet anything that Hermione would do a better job then you. Or Harry… Defense Against the Dark Arts is his specialty."

Sirius sneered at that. Potter couldn't teach anyone, especially not that class of brain-dead students.

**And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"**

**With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.**

**"****Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.**

**Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.**

**"****Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. **

"Can't you see that Hermione knows?" Tonks asked him as though she was talking to someone dumb, "Or did you just decide to make them all feel like they're thick-headed?"

"They don't need my help for that," Severus snapped back.

"Severus!" Minerva yelled, shocked that he could say something like that.

**His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between —"**

"They haven't reached werewolves yet as you already know!" Tonks hollered as she glared at Snape angrily. "You can't expect them to know some random subject that they aren't supposed to get to until the end of the year!"

"And you wonder why no student, outside Slytherin likes or respects you," Sirius said as if he was talking to an infant.

"Everyone," Albus said exhausted, rubbing his eyes, a headache was starting to form. "Enough, please."

**"****We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on-"**

**"****Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…"**

"But, they aren't," Tonks exclaimed, throwing her arms up and looking so exasperated it was a wonder she didn't run from the room, banging her head on everything as she went. "They aren't behind. They are right on track. It's you who's making them all go onto a subject they haven't gotten to yet."

"That's not Mooney's fault! He was trying his best to catch them up from their last two teachers who taught them nothing!" Sirius defended his friend.

"You seem to get worse with every year!" Tonks yelled, seemingly getting even more energized with Sirius yelling with her.

Albus raised his wand.

BANG! BANG!

The miniature explosions that he created finally brought silence. Sirius and Tonks looked at him furious that he had stopped their rant, at least until Albus starting speaking. "You do know that you were teaching the Gryffindor class, don't you?" he asked Severus. "And our _'Golden Trio'_ were with them. You should've expected them to be brave enough to talk back."

"Oh, wonderful," Severus spat, "Now you, Headmaster are criticizing me!"

"Not criticizing," Albus stated calmly. "Just stating a simple fact. Tonks? Continue please…"

**"****Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf —"**

**"****That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."**

Everyone but Dumbledore glared at the Potion's Master with varying degrees of anger and disgust that he would say something like that to a student, and to Hermione nonetheless!

Severus ignored them all, as he thought back to what the book said… was that… was that really him who said that? He had gotten angry at all the constant interruptions… but did he really sound like that? For the first time, feelings of guilt were starting to form, but he quickly shook them off. No, it wasn't his fault that they couldn't tell the difference between a quill and a wand. The rest of the staff were all too soft on them. Letting them all speak their minds so often that they thought that they could get away with anything.

It seemed to be taking all of Sirius's self-restraint (At least as much as he had) to not rip the book in two and then rip off Severus's arms while he was at it. Even the level headed ones like Remus and Kingsley was frowning and looking disdainful.

Completely distracted from the subject of werewolves, Molly asked heatedly, quite beside herself with anger, "How could you say that to her? Severus, how could you say something like that to a student?"

"She was answering your question," Tonks snarled. "How can you actually be insulting her for knowing the answer?"

"They were being disrespectful," Severus hissed back.

"And you think that calling them names and yelling at them was going to get them to respect you?" Kingsley asked, his voice radiating discontent. "You need to earn respect, Severus, not demand it. It's true, maybe they were all being rude towards you, but still, that's no excuse for the way that you've been treating them for years."

Minerva also began telling him off as well, "Being a teacher doesn't mean that you have to insult and constantly put down the ones you are supposed to teach, Severus. You are supposed to encourage them to want to learn."

"Don't blame me for speaking the…"

"Severus" Albus stood up, everyone could feel the anger and disappointment radiating off him, that they all immediately fell silent. All of them feeling like they were still first-year students being told off for breaking a rule. Albus looked at them all, as if waiting for them to say something, but when no one did, he sat back down.

"We have not finished discussing this Severus," Albus said, his eyes completely devoid of their usual twinkling. "After we return to the castle, we'll need to talk." Severus tried to look unconcerned, but he couldn't stop the slight gulping noise in his throat.

When no one spoke, Albus said to Tonks in a much more calm tone to keep goin. She looked puzzled for a moment before she remembered that she was the one with the book.

**Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. **

The glares at Severus increases at that; especially from the women in the room.

**It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"**

Some of them blinked in shock what Ron had said and done that but then…

"Good for you, Ron. Well said, you stand up for your friends," Sirius cheered loudly and applauded.

"He makes a fair argument!" Tonks agreed loudly. "What do you have to say to that, Snape?"

**The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.**

**"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."**

"Of course," Sirius groaned. "Once a git, always a git."

**No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.**

**"****Very poorly explained… That is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia… Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three…"**

"You might want to re-read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Snape," smirked Mad-Eye.

"Yeah," Sirius stated in agreement. "If I recall correctly, they're found in Japan."

"See?" Mad-Eye asked. "Even Black knows the right answer."

"Yeah, even I know… hey wait a minute!"

"Just speaking the truth," Mad-Eye said yawning. "By all means, start yelling again. It's entertaining."

**When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back.**

**"****You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning.**

"So in other words, Hermione's definitely going to know I'm a werewolf by Monday," Remus said smiling sadly.

"Oh, that's just great," Tonks said coldly before she added, "You really shouldn't be giving out homework as a substitute anyway!"

Severus just rolled his eyes.

**It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."**

"Slimy, oily, greasy-haired…" Sirius threatened to himself.

**Harry and Hermione left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.**

**"****Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job," Harry said to Hermione. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the Boggart?"**

"Hardly…" Severus grunted.

**"****I don't know," said Hermione pensively. "But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon…"**

**Ron caught up with them five minutes later, in a towering rage.**

**"****D'you know what that —" (he called Snape something that made Hermione say "Ron!")**

"OH, what did he call him?" Sirius asked eagerly, and leaned forward.

"Doesn't say," Tonks said, looking disappointed.

Molly frowned and said sternly with a sideways glance at her husband, "I know that he didn't hear that from me."

"Who said he did?" Mad-Eye asked.

**"— ****is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!" He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"**

Sirius perked up a little at the thought. "Not a bad idea. Wish I thought of it."

"Sirius," Molly said with her eyebrows raised.

Sirius just grinned at her innocently.

**Harry woke extremely early the next morning; so early that it was still dark. For a moment he thought the roaring of the wind had woken him. Then he felt a cold breeze on the back of his neck and sat bolt upright — Peeves the Poltergeist had been floating next to him, blowing hard in his ear.**

**"What did you do that for?" said Harry furiously. Peeves puffed out his cheeks, blew hard, and zoomed backward out of the room, cackling.**

"He does that to all the students," Remus said thinking back. "He picks a student to wake up rudely every day. It's how he starts his day."

"Yeah, I think he's woken everyone up at least once," Minerva said, remembering all the complaints she gets from that.

**Harry fumbled for his alarm clock and looked at it. It was half past four. Cursing Peeves, he rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now that he was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls, and the distant creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours he would be out on the Quidditch field, battling through that gale. Finally, he gave up any thought of more sleep, got up, dressed, picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand, and walked quietly out of the dormitory.**

**As Harry opened the door, something brushed against his leg. He bent down just in time to grab Crookshanks by the end of his bushy tail and drag him outside.**

"Is Crookshanks still intent on attacking Ron's rat?" Tonks asked taken aback. "Come one, I'm sure that he's well-fed, so what's the fascination with a dying rat?"

"Where's the fun eating a dead rat?" Sirius whispered to himself. "I'm sure that I—I mean, he would want the pleasure of finishing him off himself.

**"****You know, I reckon Ron was right about you," Harry told Crookshanks suspiciously. "There are plenty of mice around this place — go and chase them. Go on," he added, nudging Crookshanks down the spiral staircase with his foot. "Leave Scabbers alone."**

'_No make sure that he's scare as much as possible,'_ Sirius thought with a vindictive pleasure.

"He's baaack…" grinned Tonks. "Wow, it's almost like that cat's on a mission to get Scabbers."

"Something like that," Sirius said, though the only ones who heard him were Remus and Tonks. She looked at him in bewilderment before shrugging it off.

**The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. Harry knew better than to think the match would be canceled; Quidditch matches weren't called off for trifles like thunderstorms. Nevertheless, he was starting to feel very apprehensive. Wood had pointed out Cedric Diggory to him in the corridor; Diggory was a fifth year and a lot bigger than Harry. **

They all had a few minutes of silence as they thought of the poor boy that did nothing to earn his fate. Their hatred for Voldemort just reached new heights.

**Seekers were usually light and speedy, but Diggory's weight would be an advantage in this weather because he was less likely to be blown off course.**

**Harry whiled away the hours until dawn in front of the fire, getting up every now and then to stop Crookshanks from sneaking up the boys' staircase again. At long last Harry thought it must be time for breakfast, so he headed through the portrait hole alone.**

**"****Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled Sir Cadogan.**

"Oh, shut up," Sirius said incredulous that anyone could be that irritating.

**"****Oh, shut up," Harry yawned.**

Sirius grinned, "Thatta boy, Harry."

**He revived a bit over a large bowl of porridge, and by the time he'd started on toast, the rest of the team had turned up.**

**"****It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything.**

**"****Stop worrying, Oliver," said Alicia soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."**

"I hardly called it a bit of rain," Minerva said remembering that day and the flood that fell from the sky.

**But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. just before he entered the locker room, Harry saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, laughing and pointing at him from under an enormous umbrella on their way to the stadium.**

Sirius's eye twitched slightly and he looked like he wanted to hit something, but he ignored it, wanting to get this chapter over with already. _'Just one more chapter after this,'_ he kept thinking to himself. _'Just one more, and you can go and wallow in your own self-pity.'_

**The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him.**

**The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering over Harry's glasses. How on earth was he going to see the Snitch in this?**

**The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. **

"He could at least try to be decent," Minerva sighed.

**Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms." He pulled his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant — they were off.**

"Couldn't you have waited until the storm was over?" Molly asked them all. "For goodness sake it's a game! Why not postpone it for the next day at least? If the players couldn't even tell their own players apart from their opponent, how could any of you hope to see anything?"

"I am wishing that we did that," Albus nodded. "But we had no idea that it was going to turn out to be a typhoon. And neither team wanted to call it off…"

"That doesn't matter!" she snapped back. "It was dangerous letting them fly in that weather!"

**Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. He held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain.**

**Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. He flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game. He couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; his vision was so clouded by the rain on his glasses he hadn't seen them coming.**

**He lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold his broom straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. Twice Harry nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, he could hardly tell them apart…**

"This isn't good. How can they fly if they can't even see where they're going?" Tonks had to ask herself. "At this rate, they'll be playing all night!"

**With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Harry could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.**

**"****I called for time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here —"**

**They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.**

**"****What's the score?"**

**"****We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."**

**"****I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.**

**At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.**

"Oooh, Hermione's got a plan!" Tonks said eagerly clapping her hands together.

"Yes," Remus smiled. "You can't ask for a better friend."

"So in other words, she's just like you, Moony," Sirius teased, and grinned when he saw the red on Remus's face.

"I don't know what you're…"

"Come off it!" Sirius laughed. "If we ever needed help with something, you were there in a flash and pulling off some pretty impressive magic to boot."

"Really?" Tonks said interested, giving Sirius such a cute look, that he had to fight back a smile.

"I'll be sure to tell you about it later," he promised, suddenly noticing how close they were.

"I'll hold you too that!" Tonks called happily and she moved a little farther away from him.

**"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"**

**He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"**

"A very good and useful spell! You go girl!" Tonks said proudly.

**"****There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"**

**Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.**

"I would've loved to have seen that," Remus smiled

"Maybe he should've," Sirius said thinking it over. "Sounds like the guy was in desperate need of a girlfriend."

"Nah," Arthur laughed. "He already has just one love and that's Quidditch."

**"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it!"**

**Hermione's spell had done the trick. Harry was still numb with cold, still wetter than he'd ever been in his life, but he could see. **

"Oh, they need to stop!" fretted Molly, thinking how Harry and her boys were sure to catch their death of cold if they continued like this.

**Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction…**

**There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Harry needed to get the Snitch quickly —**

"As long as the game will just hurry up and end…" Molly started, that is until she stopped dead, remembering what they all said before… how Harry almost… she went very white—even whiter when she heard Tonks read:

**He turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and Harry saw something that distracted him completely, the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats.**

"The Grim!" Tonks shouted, and turned to Sirius, "You mean that you came to watch the game?"

"You know that was just as reckless as you trying to break into the castle, Sirius?" Kingsley asked him with his eyebrows raised.

"I wanted to see Harry play," Sirius defended himself. "And through all the rain, there was no way that they could've seen me."

"But Harry did," Albus reminded him.

"Oh, right," Sirius said grumpily.

**Harry's numb hands slipped on the broom handle and his Nimbus dropped a few feet. Shaking his sodden bangs out of his eyes, he squinted back into the stands. The dog had vanished.**

**"****Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!"**

They all tensed up—now what was going to happen?

**Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them…**

**With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.**

**"****Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!"**

**But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf — what was going on?**

**And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over him, inside him, just as he became aware of something moving on the field below…**

"Dementors…" Sirius muttered, his face bloodless.

"Dementors?!" Arthur gasped in horror.

"Nooo," Molly groaned. She buried her face in her hands, now knowing what was going to happen.

"On the Quidditch field?" Kingsley demanded, his eyes widening as most of the room was looking grim. "How could that have happened?!"

'_Interesting,'_ thought Mad-Eye, though having enough sense not to say anything out loud._ 'That a bunch of Dementors suddenly decide to invade the field at the same time Potter sees a Grim-like image… Is this a foretelling of doom in relation to the Dementors?'_

Everyone in the room was waiting with baited breath to what was going to happen, and they sat there, horribly tense, waiting for Tonks to continue. At last, her voice shaking, as she was horribly aware that Harry was feet in the air, and that the Dementors had made him pass out before…

But bravely, she went on…

**Before he'd had time to think, Harry had taken his eyes off the Snitch and looked down.**

**At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at him, were standing beneath him. **

"Oh no…" Remus muttered, his eyes wide. Remembering what Harry was about to hear.

"They must have been attracted by all the excitement," Severus stated calmly, though even he was now looking slightly ill.

**It was as though freezing water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again… Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head… a woman…**

_**"**__**Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"**_

_**"**__**Stand aside, you silly girl… stand aside, now…"**_

_**"**__**Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead —"**_

The room had become deadly quiet. Not one of them seemed to have been able to breath after hearing those three lines.

Tonks stopped reading. Her voice had broken down, finally understanding what Harry's worst memory was. Beside her, everyone else's faces were so white, they looked almost see-through.

Severus was almost hyperventilating when he heard this, Potter heard… he heard _her_… he didn't want to hear anymore… to hear the last words of Lily Evan's life… to know that _he_ was the one who told his master to go after her… he was shaking so hard that he ripped open the arms of the chair he was in and the stuffing starting falling out.

"Is that… is that…?" stuttered Molly, her eyes wide. "Oh no, that's…"

"Lily," Remus choked out.

Sirius's head snapped up to look at Remus. "W-what do you mean?" he asked, his voice shaking.

Remus tried hard to fight his tears. "He hears her. Her and James. When Harry comes into contact with a Dementor…" he explained, fighting his feelings. Remus clenched his fists tightly, gripping onto the edge of the couch support. Ever since that night, he was alone. After finally meeting Harry after so many years, he thought that would have been able to find some sense of closure. But each time he saw Harry Potter, he was reminded of the friends he'd lost. James was everywhere in his face… and yet it was Lily who was in his eyes and heart. "He hears their final moments and that's what causes him to pass out."

"I never knew that," whispered Sirius, closing as the tears started falling. Sirius had enough trouble trying to forget the images of seeing his friend's bodies… but knowing that his godson heard his parent's final moments before they were murdered, it made him feel as if he was dropped in an ocean of cold…

Soon after that, tears cascaded down all their faces, though Severus was able to hide his behind his hand, not wanting letting anyone see.

Arthur hugged his wife tightly. He buried his face in her hair with tears silently sliding down his face. He could only imagine just how horrible this must've been for Harry. To actually be forced to hear your own parents last moments? He just felt as if someone had punched him in the gut, how could someone be so cruel as to murder an entire family and not feel any remorse? How could Voldemort kill a child's parent's right in front of them and then try to murder that child? There was no other explanation… he was a _monster_… a heartless, soulless monster.

"Why don't I read, Tonks?" Kingsley offered gently, reaching across the circle to take the book from her. Tonks looked for a moment as though she wanted to refuse, but she then saw the devastated look on Remus's face and knew that he needed her more right now. Without looking up, she handed the book over, and wrapped her arms around Remus's neck. Normally, he would've been jumped and tried to push her away, but instead, he just wrapped his own arms round her and held her close, as his hot tears mixed in with her now her saddest shade of blue hair.

Kingsley then picked up where Tonks left off:

**Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain… What was he doing? Why was he flying? He needed to help her… She was going to die… She was going to be murdered…**

At those words, Molly sobbed harder and Arthur reassured her quietly, holding her close and whispering in her ear words of comfort.

"He doesn't realize it yet," muttered Mad-Eye, and his voice sounded more strained than usual, "He doesn't even realize it's just a memory."

**He was falling, falling through the icy mist.**

Albus groaned quietly; his head in his hands, remembering the terror that flooded through him when he saw Harry suddenly stop flying in midair… and then slowly slipped off his broom and fell to earth. What they were reading have had to have happened right then. He had come so close to losing Harry, it had been so close and he didn't know what he would've done…

As soon as he felt the Dementors presence, he jumped up from his seat and ran for the field. He reached it just as the Dementors appeared. He used the Impediment Curse to help slow Harry down right before he hit the ground. And then he thought of a memory, he thought of a time before Ariana had been attacked and his family was still together, before he was able to summon his phoenix Patronus.

Once they had fled, he turned to see that Harry was in the mud just a few feet away, he ran over to the boy, for one—heart-stopping moment—he was sure that he was dead. At least until he reached over and checked his wrist to find the faint beating of a pulse. Feeling warm and welcoming relief; he conjured up a stretcher and carried him straight up to the Hospital Wing.

Albus had always regretted that he has always had to be the one who knew, and who had the burden of knowing. And he would rather not know. Albus knew all along that Harry was going to have to learn a few hard lessons to prepare him for what might be coming in his young life. He allowed Harry to get into what he wouldn't allow another pupil to do, but he did so unwillingly. Having no choice but to let Harry confront things that Albus rather protect him from.

Harry could deny all he wanted to, but he was something special to have managed to have gone through all these hardships and pains and still come through as the kind and compassionate person he is. There were deep scars woven underneath the surface, no doubt about that, and yet it took an extremely good and strong person to be able to keep going like he does. The boy was a true hero, whether he liked it or not.

He has known all along that Harry is connected to Voldemort, and that he has been prophesied to be the one to stop him. Either Harry or Voldemort will have to kill the other in the end, according to the prophecy. But Albus just couldn't bear himself to come out and tell Harry this because he didn't want to burden Harry with anymore than he had to. In fact, Dumbledore chose not to make Harry a Prefect for this reason. The boy had enough responsibilities to be getting along with.

**"****Not Harry! Please… have mercy… have mercy…"**

Molly sobbed even harder, feelings of respect and admiration for what Lily did and what she sacrificed herself for. Lily had a true mother's heart… and isn't protecting her child, something a mother can't help but do? Poor Harry though… how could he stand this? How could he actually be forced to hear this?

She shook her head as tears fell. She loved Harry as though he was just another one of her sons. To hear him suffer like this was torture for her.

**A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew no more.**

"What happened?" Kingsley asked weakly; he wished he never heard this—wishing that he could just wipe his memories clean of it.

"He fell," Minerva whispered simply, wiping her eyes on a handkerchief. "He just slipped and fell off, everyone—especially Granger and Weasley were so worried that he was…" she trailed off, unable to say anymore.

For a long time, the group sat in shell-shocked silence. Molly's sobs continued, shaking both her own and Arthur's bodies. Remus had finally let go of Tonks, but she was now leaning her head against his as she held his hand. But Severus was still staring into his own lap, biting his lip as though to hold back his tears.

Severus had to stop himself from breaking down, why Lily? She didn't have to sacrifice herself, but she was so foolishly noble, so recklessly brave that she had to try and bargain with the Dark Lord? If she had just got out of the way when he told her to… she would still be alive today…

Teeth still clenched, Sirius had rested his chin on his fist and was sitting motionless. He remembered that day all too well. He shut his eyes as he thought back…

_*Flashback*_

_Sirius watched his thirteen-year-old intensely, trying not to confuse him with his other teammates. Every time he dodged a bludger or fought against the wind that was threatening to throw him up, Sirius smile and think, '__He's the Quidditch star James always wanted him to be…'_

_And then for that one moment when he saw Harry… and Harry was staring right back at him. How Harry was able to see him through all that rain Sirius had no idea, he just knew that he had to get out of there. But once he got down from the bleachers… he felt them. That terrible, sudden coldness that squeezed his insides with a frozen fist… the chill that sunk deep down into his heart and revealed his most horrifying memories… creatures he was forced to spend twelve years with… Dementors were gliding onto the Quidditch pitch._

_He didn't even realize what was happening at first because he was too busy looking around the stands, trying to find a way to escape before he was caught in their cold spell. But then he heard a terrified gasp chorus through the crowd, all of them pointing above them. Distracted, Sirius's snapped his head toward the pitch in time to see a blur of red and gold falling…_

_Terror of seeing that player fall through the air as limp as a ragdoll… the silent pleading that it was someone, anyone else. He knew that it was terrible that he was wishing for another Gryffindor to have fallen, but at the moment, he didn't care. All that he cared about was that his godson was safe and away from those monsters._

_He was so desperate to do something to protect the boy… he was so close to running out onto the field and facing the Dementors that if Dumbledore didn't step in he would've. Dumbledore, fury practically radiating off him, waved his wand and Harry slowed down right before he hit the muddy earth. Then the old teacher turned to the Dementors… and the strongest Patronus he had ever seen erupted from his wand._

_Once they had fled, he watched as Dumbledore bent down next to Harry in the mud for a minute before he waved Harry onto a stretcher, the rest of the Gryffindor team ran toward him. Everyone in the stands looked scared and pointed at the figure that was now being carted off to the castle. _

_*End of Flashback*_

Sirius had no choice but to turn and run like a coward. He shook his head, feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't want to hear anymore. With every chapter they read about Harry's life, the more that seemed to just choke him with fear and pain. It was like a punishment… reading all this. Sirius deserved this pain, not Harry.

And those Dementors wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for him… damn why was it that every time he tried to help someone he cared about only to have it backfire in the end?

He looked up and glared at Dumbledore for letting this happen… that is until he saw the look of pain on his old Headmaster's face. His face seemed to be broken… his eyes looked older somehow, no twinkle; instead they were tinged with sorrow and regret. That was the only thing that could calm Sirius down. Despite all of this… after everything that happened… was it possible that the Headmaster spoke the truth? Did he really care about Harry after all? Or was Harry just another one of his students? Just what was Harry to Dumbledore?

At last, everyone seemed to be coming back to reality. Molly reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her face clean on. And Severus, his eyes dry again, finally looked up.

A few minutes later, when everyone was calm enough to keep reading, Tonks took back the book.

**"****Lucky the ground was so soft."**

**"****I thought he was dead for sure."**

Sirius's breath involuntarily caught in his breath, before pinching himself hard, reminding himself that Harry was just find.

**"****But he didn't even break his glasses."**

**Harry could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. He didn't have a clue where he was, or how he'd got there, or what he'd been doing before he got there. All he knew was that every inch of him was aching as though it had been beaten.**

**"****That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."**

Sirius flinched at the memory. Yes, that had definitely been one of the scariest things in his life as well.

**Scariest… the scariest thing… hooded black figures… cold… screaming…**

**Harry's eyes snapped open. He was lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around his bed. Ron and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool.**

**"****Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath, the mud. "How're you feeling?"**

That shows everyone who wasn't there just how serious this was. If Fred or George couldn't find anything to say to lighten the mood, you know that it had to have been bad.

**It was as though Harry's memory was on fast forward. The lightning… the Grim… the Snitch… and the Dementors…**

**"****What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.**

**"****You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been — what — fifty feet?"**

"Fifty feet?" Molly repeated in a horrified whisper. "_Fifty_?"

"How did he survive that?" Arthur whispered in amazement.

**"****We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking.**

"Harry's glasses had not been broken from the fall," Tonks said in a forced cheerful tone, though her lip was trembling. "Hermione's Impervious Charm was extremely impervious. Don't you all think? Hermione—you may want to try it on the rest of Harry!"

"Tonks?" Sirius whispered, his face in his hands again, "Not that I don't appreciate the attempt, but please, I'm not in the mood."

**Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.**

**"****But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"**

"That is not important right now," Surprisingly, this came from Sirius. "You just fell off your broom and were attacked by the Dementors, Harry. There're more important matters to deal with than losing a game!"

"You could've died," Molly mouthed again, before hiding her face in Arthur's shoulder.

**No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into Harry like a stone.**

**"****We didn't — lose?"**

**"****Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. **

"How could he not have noticed the Dementors?" wondered Sirius in disbelief finally glancing up at the book. Either Diggory truly didn't feel anything, or didn't pay too much attention to it as he went for the Snitch. Though how he couldn't feel anything was beyond him.

**When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square… even Wood admits it."**

"He sounds like a good guy, not many other people would've done that," Tonks pointed out proud that he had been in her House. He was a true and noble Hufflepuff to the end!

Albus gave a small smile and a nod of the head. Yes, Cedric Diggory had indeed highlighted all the qualities of a true, and loyal Hufflepuff. His dead, was truly, a horrible tragedy that effected everyone who ever knew the young man.

**"****Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.**

**"****Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."**

**Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.**

Albus frowned,_ 'It was just a game. Please, Harry start worrying more about yourself.'_

"He doesn't have a greedy bone in his body does he?" Mad-Eye had to ask.

**"****C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."**

**"****There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.**

**"****It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points."**

**"****Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin…"**

**"****Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.**

**"****But if they beat Ravenclaw…"**

**"****No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff…"**

**"****It all depends on the points — a margin of a hundred either way —"**

"Could they stop talking about the match?!" Arthur cried out. "I'm slowly losing my mind here."

**Harry lay there, not saying a word. They had lost… for the first time ever, he had lost a Quidditch match.**

"It's just a game!" Molly whimpered while Sirius was making a mental note to talk to Harry about getting his priorities straight.

**After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace.**

**"****We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."**

Sirius smiled in spite of himself feeling so miserable.

**The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Ron and Hermione moved nearer to Harry's bed.**

**"****Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium right away… He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him —"**

'_That was an understatement,' _Albus thought to himself as his eyes narrowed. He wanted every single Dementor destroyed for coming onto the grounds.

"Thank god that you were there, Dumbledore," Molly sniveled as she finished drying her tears.

**"****Then he magicked you onto a stretcher," said Ron. "And walked up to school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were…"**

**His voice faded, but Harry hardly noticed. He was thinking about what the Dementors had done to him… about the screaming voice. He looked up and saw Ron and Hermione looking at him so anxiously that he quickly cast around for something matter-of-fact to say.**

**"****Did someone get my Nimbus?"**

**Ron and Hermione looked quickly at each other.**

**"****Er —"**

"Oh, no now what?"

**"****What?" said Harry, looking from one to the other.**

**"****Well… when you fell off, it got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly.**

**"****And?"**

**"****And it hit — it hit — oh, Harry — it hit the Whomping Willow."**

Remus flinched horribly and looked away with guilt at the reminder that the tree was planted because of him and Harry lost his broom because of it.

"Don't worry," Sirius said with a forced smile, "He'll be getting a broom ten times as good as that one soon."

"Typically that you wouldn't settle on anything but the best, Padfoot," Arthur smiled at him.

"Of course!" Sirius cried out dramatically. "I had twelve years to catch up on! A international broom was nothing!"

**Harry's insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds.**

**"****And?" he said, dreading the answer.**

**"****Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It — it doesn't like being hit."**

**"****Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice.**

**Slowly, she reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.**

"Poor kid," Mad-Eye said sadly.

"That was the end of the chapter," Tonks said setting the book down on the table and pushed it as far away as she could from her as though it was something that just died. It may have seen like a good idea at first to learn more about Harry, but now it felt like torture to hear how Harry had endure.

They all sat in silence for a long while, thinking over everything they had discovered. None of them said a word for awhile, as if afraid that they would be sick if they opened their mouths.

Albus then asked, "I think…" his voice creaking slightly from concealed emotion, "We should only read one more chapter… and then we'll call it a day."

Because no one could think of anything else to do, they all nodded but not one of them seemed eager to read. Until finally, Kingsley, gathering up his courage slowly took the book like he thought it would explode in his hands. He didn't really know if he wanted to read, or if he could handle it, but he'd try anyway.

How much worse could it get?

He flipped it open, found the next chapter and read out in his deep voice, "**Chapter 10: The Marauder's Map**."


	14. The Marauder's Map

******(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 12: The Marauder's Map**

He flipped it open, found the next chapter and read out in his deep voice, "**Chapter 10: The Marauder's Map**."

Kingsley blinked in surprise when he saw the picture of a worn-out and slightly torn map underneath the chapter name. This had to be the Marauder's Map… but what was it? He never heard of it before, and he could tell that he wasn't the only one who was looking confused. Most of the rest of the room looked perplexed at the name as well, but Severus's face looked stony and Sirius and Remus's faces brightened up—looking much happier than they had been throughout the last chapter.

"The map!" exclaimed Sirius thrilled as he stared at the book with a big grin on his face. "They're gonna find the map? Excellent!"

"Looks like we're finally going to find out how it fell into Harry's hands," replied Remus good-naturedly.

The smirk on Sirius' face grew. "Now Harry will be able to get into Hogsmeade," he said happily.

"What are you all talking about?" asked Tonks at last in frustration. "What is the Marauder's Map?"

"It's a map that these two idiots created," Severus snarled, having only seen it work once. He had been taking Lupin his potion and there it was sitting on the desk… he was fascinated to see a dot labeled 'Remus Lupin' running across the grounds and into the Whomping Willow. "Pity, I could've sworn that you two were the ones who gave it to Potter."

Everyone else looked at the Marauders interested as Sirius glared at him.

"What is it a map of?" Tonks asked curiously.

Sirius turned to her and begin an explanation, but Remus cut in, "I'm sure the chapter will tell you."

"Oh, it better," Sirius said, practically bouncing in his seat as he turned back to the book, "It would be a shame if all our hard work went unrecognized." Albus chuckled at their antics, glad to see them looking better than they had for the last few chapters. The others on the other hand glared at him, not amused by his joking. But had no chance to retort as Kingsley had quickly begun reading.

**Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. **

"Good," said Molly sternly. "He'll have a long break from everyone, then."

**He didn't argue or complain, but he wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand. He knew he was being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but Harry couldn't help it; he felt as though he'd lost one of his best friends.**

"Boys and their broomsticks," Molly said shaking her head slightly, though it wasn't without sympathy.

**He had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering him up. Hagrid sent him a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit.**

"Awww," cooed Tonks as Sirius roared with laughter. "Isn't that just adorable?"

Molly also grinned widely. "She always had been so sweet!" she cooed gladly.

"You might want to start planning for a wedding after all," Tonks teased as Molly beamed at the idea.

**The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told Harry (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame him in the slightest. **

Tonks's smile vanished at once. "He might have said those words," she remarked coldly, "But I think it would've helped if he meant them as well."

"He shouldn't blame Harry; it wasn't his fault," Molly says in a defiant voice.

"Yes," Minerva stated derisively, rolling her eyes. "Wood is making it sound like his life is over."

"In a way it is," Mad-Eye stated. "What else as he got going for him?"

**Ron and Hermione left Harry's bedside only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make Harry feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling him.**

"Harry always seems to keep things to himself and has such difficulty asking for help," Kingsley said shaking his head.

"He's not use to it," Albus explained with a frown.

"And whose fault is that I wonder?" Sirius growled at Dumbledore.

**He hadn't told anyone about the Grim, not even Ron and Hermione,**

"So _tell_ them!" Molly exclaimed in annoyance. "Why didn't he tell anyone?"

**because he knew Ron would panic and Hermione would scoff.**

"That's a fair point, actually," Sirius had to say.

"He knows his friends really well," Arthur said smiling slightly.

Molly still looked upset. "He should still tell _someone_. Would make him feel better…"

**The fact remained, however, that it had now appeared twice, and both appearances had been followed by near-fatal accidents; the first time, he had nearly been run over by the Knight Bus; the second, fallen fifty feet from his broomstick. Was the Grim going to haunt him until he actually died? Was he going to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder for the beast?**

"OK, I confess that Padfoot might be big… but a beast? Come on!" said Sirius with a feeble attempt at humor.

"You really need to pick better times to see Potter, Black," Mad-Eye said gruffly. "And that was another fair point. Technically, it was **your** fault that he was almost hit by the Knight Bus."

"Those were accidents," retorted Sirius grumpily.

"But Harry doesn't know that," argued Kingsley. "Hearing it from his point of view really makes it sound like there is a Grim after him. First he was nearly run over by the Knight Bus, and then he fell fifty feet from a broom."

"That was the Dementor's fault," said Minerva. "And I blame Fudge for that. It never would've happened if he hadn't insisted on having those near the school that year."

**And then there were the Dementors. Harry felt sick and humiliated every time he thought of them. Everyone said the Dementors were horrible, but no one else collapsed every time they went near one. No one else heard echoes in their head of their dying parents.**

Severus shuddered and flinched slightly as Albus looked grave and Remus said sadly, "Harry doesn't have anything to be humiliated about. He's just had a much worse past then the rest of his classmates. No one else hears what he hears, so no one else could understand what he's going through."

Many people in the room darkened at the reminder. It was true, and it was also so horrible. Harry had gone through more hardships than they could ever have imagined, these books were showing them just how wrong they were. And they weren't even on book four yet! No one wanted to even think about what was yet to come.

Sirius in particular looked very miserable. If there was anyone who could understand what Harry was going through then it was him. Sirius's childhood, like Harry's had been horrible and he too had been desperate to escape it. But the thing was, he never was forced to risk his life the countless times that Harry had to.

It might be true that he had been in Azkaban, but that didn't change the fact that he was the kid's godfather for crying out loud! He hadn't been there for him during those twelve miserable years. Even if Harry couldn't have lived with him during that time he would have visited every single day and made sure that those damn Dursleys treated him right! His heart broke into thousands of pieces whenever the boy refused to say what was bothering him, or just expected his wishes to be ignored.

He didn't understand at the time, but now he knew why Harry was like that. He was used to being mistreated and his happiness overlooked… which once again reminded of what he had missed, and at the same time, his actions have robbed Harry of what he could've had. By landing himself in Azkaban, Harry never had the chance to have a normal and happy childhood.

How in the world could the _Prophet _think that his godson likes the attention? Trying to make a boy's life even harder and more unbearable just to protect their image? It made him sick to his stomach at the very idea. How could anyone want to be famous for something as horrible as having a evil, sick, psycho, rogue wizard kill your family? He knew that Harry would trade his fame for his parents in a heartbeat.

Anyone with the slightest bit of brains could see that if they met Harry… There's no one, save for the people who had come from a terrible life as he had would want that. He, himself, would rather take the fame and be able to get out of this house and make himself useful. As for wanting his mother back? Who would want that? World was better off without her anyway.

**Because Harry knew who that screaming voice belonged to now. **

Molly bit her lower lip, and Arthur took her hand firmly in his own. Albus was looking down sadly, trying not to think about the prophecy that was the reason for all of this.

**He had heard her words, heard them over and over again during the night hours in the hospital wing while he lay awake, staring at the strips of moonlight on the ceiling. When the Dementors approached him, he heard the last moments of his mother's life, **

McGonagall blinked furiously, and Severus gritted his teeth—trying hard not to remember Lily.

Tonks let out a small sob, and latched herself onto Remus's arm who had clenched his jaw, feeling a deep sadness within his head at the memory of his friends dying.

**her attempts to protect him, Harry, from Lord Voldemort, and Voldemort's laughter before he murdered her… **

Severus's hands clenched into fists, and shook with despair for a few moments. He took a few deep breaths thinking how foolish he was to trust the Dark Lord to spare her life. It had been bad enough when he lost her friendship, and then later to James Potter… but when he learned of her death…

To hear her final words… to hear how terrified, yet determine she was to protect her son… it made him feel if possible, even worse.

Molly thought fondly of the boy, her own tears finally slowing down, and knew deep down that he wasn't a child but some things were just too important and dangerous to say. If he knew, then wouldn't it make his life even more agonizing for him to keep going? She didn't know what to do…

Albus felt his heart ache painfully as Harry's thoughts penetrated the walls he was trying to build around him this whole year. He knew better than anyone what it felt like to hear your loved ones last words… for that was what the Dementors showed him. His dear little sister's screams before she was hit with one of the curses that ended her life.

He knew what Harry was going through… knew that Harry was surrounded by ghosts… ghosts of his past. He felt the urge to slap himself, he could not let himself get too attached to Harry. That would only put him in more danger. Putting Harry in danger was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

**Harry dozed fitfully, sinking into dreams full of clammy, rotted hands and petrified pleading, jerking awake to dwell again on his mother's voice.**

'_Should we be questioning how a one-year-old can understand all of Lily's words?' _Mad-Eye thought. _'Maybe wizard children are advanced, or Potter's subconscious just retained it?' _But he couldn't bring himself to say any of this out loud when he looked at their heart-broken looks. But he filed it away in case it was important for later.

"I wish that he wouldn't dwell on her voice," said Remus softly. "Or at least, not on her… on her final moments."

Snape was rapidly blinking his eyes and scowling at being forcing him to hear this.

Molly was close to tears now. She was couldn't imagine just how ghastly it would've been to be haunted by your own mother's voice. Arthur wrapped his arms around his wife and whispered soothing words to her.

**It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where he was forced to think about other things, even if he had to endure Draco Malfoy's taunting. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. **

"Oh, I bet he was," Sirius spat scathingly, that brat was quickly moving up to the top of his 'to kill' list. Second only to Voldemort and the Dursleys… oh, and Dumbledore too of course.

**He had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom. **

"What are the chances that he just chose to take off the bandages on purpose?" Arthur asked dully.

"A hundred and ten percent," Sirius agreed bitterly. "Stupid git, none of this is even remotely funny! Harry could've been killed and he's focused on a game?!"

"You should do something about that," Minerva said to Severus sternly. "That boy will be heading down a dark path if he keeps up."

Severus shifted in his seat; though he hated to acknowledge it… she had a good point. He would have to have a word with Draco.

**Malfoy spent much of their next Potions class doing Dementor imitations across the dungeon; **

Exhaling a long breath Sirius slumped against his chair. Why was this happening? Of all the people on earth, why did it have to be his godson? First he's targeted by a psychopath who was determine to open up the freaking gates of hell, his parents were murdered and he's forced to go and live with his abusive relatives and now this…

None of this was fair. His godson had fallen fifty feet from a broomstick and he was persecuted for it! They way the book made it sound as though that one little accident was some unforgivable crime when all he did was lost a game! Sure it pushed further Gryffindor back from the hope of winning the Quidditch cup but that's all it is! Just a stupid cup! Why don't people think about all this?

"And you didn't notice what Mr. Malfoy was doing, Severus?" said Minerva sternly, looking at Snape over the top of her glasses with raised eyebrows.

Severus chose that moment to pretend he didn't hear her.

"Well, I'd say that this is an obvious show of favoritism," said Minerva with artificial lightness. "And do you by any chance think that it's a bit hypocritical of you to accuse anyone else of favoring their students?"

"Well, you do have favorites," Severus hissed back.

She glared at him, "I don't have favorites, Severus. And even if I did, I wouldn't treat them differently that from anyone else. I don't treat my Gryffindors any different to students of any other House. If they do something wrong, they will be punished for it."

"What about the Weasley twins or your precious _'Golden Trio?'_" Severus snapped back. "Every year they break the rules and then get rewarded for it!"

"After everything we've read in the last two books," Kingsley said calmly, "Can you honestly say that they don't deserve it?"

Severus didn't know if he could take much more of this. He was silently begging whoever was listening up there to end this chapter already.

**Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor.**

"Good shot!" cried Tonks exultantly, wishing that she had that kind of nerve to do that in front of Snape.

"And you do nothing to Malfoy, why doesn't this surprise me?" Sirius said before muttering to himself in an undertone, "Though seeing Malfoy hit in the face with a crocodile organ is worth it."

"That's really too much just for that," Remus said, looking at Severus. "Were you just looking for an excuse to take points?"

"As far as I know," Severus said stubbornly, "Malfoy wasn't doing anything wrong…"

"Oh, that has to be some of the biggest load of…" Sirius began, but Kingsley went on before he could finish swearing.

**"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off," said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Hermione."**

"I don't blame him," Sirius said solemnly.

Albus shook his head at the effect Severus was having on the students but decided to not say anything… at least at the moment. They were sure to talk about this later.

**Hermione peered around the classroom door.**

**"****It's okay!"**

**Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. **

Remus grimaced at the memories. Yes, he looks like that every month, though now that he was a little older, they were so much harder on him.

"Full moon?" Tonks asked pessimistically, and when Remus nodded she asked, "Wait… I wondered about that. Just where do you go when you turn into a werewolf?"

Remus linked his fingers together and smiled wryly as he rested his chin on top of them. "Have you ever wondered just where the Shrieking Shack gained its reputation for ghosts even though it's been silent for years and why the Whomping Willow was planted when we came to Hogwarts?"

Tonks's eyes widen in realization and her jaw dropped open slightly. She had always loved that legend when she was still at school. She had even tried to break into the shack several times… but to know that it was Remus who was the one who started it, made her heart soar.

"The Whomping Willow is directly above a passageway which leads into the Shrieking Shack," Remus went on. "That was where I went when I was still going to school while the howls and screams the villagers used to hear, was me. Thought when I returned as a teacher, I would take the Wolfsbane Potions and was able to just curl up in my office… though I did make sure to have several locking and silencing charms on my office door… just in case."

**His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape's behavior while Lupin had been ill.**

Snape sneered at the book but couldn't do anything else. Really, the rest of the teachers were too soft on them.

**"****It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"**

**"****We don't know anything about werewolves —"**

**"— ****two rolls of parchment!"**

**"****Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked, frowning slightly.**

"Do you really think he would've listened to them?" Tonks asked Remus, raising his eyebrow in disbelief.

"I had hoped he would," Remus said with a distinct sigh.

"I didn't like his teaching style anyway," Sirius grumbled as Severus narrowed his eyes at him. "Remind me, how did you become a teacher again?"

"That, Black, is none of your business."

Remus shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he said finally. "I would have had to go over it at some point in the year since it's part of the syllabus."

"Wouldn't you be afraid of them finding out?" Molly asked him worriedly.

"Yes, but it is part of their curriculum so I would've had to teach them about werewolves sooner or later," Remus said simply. "Though it would go as quickly as possible."

Arthur shook his head, "I don't think I could've done that."

**The babble broke out again.**

**"****Yes, but he said we were really behind —"**

**"— ****he wouldn't listen —"**

**"— t****wo rolls of parchment!"**

**Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face.**

**"****Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."**

**"****Oh no," said Hermione, looking very disappointed. "I've already finished it!"**

Remus laughed, though there was no humor in his tone. "Of course she did! She wouldn't be the brightest witch of her age if she didn't."

"Which means she already figured out the truth," Minerva said.

At the same time, Sirius shot a sharp glance at Severus, who was looking unusually smug. Severus had always known that Granger would figure it out, and he had kind of hoped she would think that Lupin was dangerous and tell everyone else Lupin's secret. He should've known that a goody-goody Gryffindor would've kept quiet.

**They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a Hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking.**

**"****Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as they took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead — people follow the light — then —"**

**The Hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass.**

"Ew," Tonks wrinkled her nose before making it turn into a tiny button snout.

**When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Harry among them, but —**

**"****Wait a moment, Harry," Lupin called. "I'd like a word."**

"Professor Moony wants a word?" Sirius gasped, shaking his head, "What've you done, Harry? Must be important."

"Yes, what do you want with him?" Arthur asked him in surprise.

"I just wanted to talk to him about the match," Remus answered. "I was worried when I heard about it."

"So you have your favorites to?" Severus asked coldly.

"Maybe, but can you really blame me?" Remus asked matter-of-factly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The son of one of my best friends was in a bad accident. Of course I was worried."

**Harry doubled back and watched Professor Lupin covering the Hinkypunk's box with a cloth.**

**"I heard about the match," said Lupin, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"**

**"****No," said Harry. "The tree smashed it to bits."**

"That's too bad, but I think that the Firebolt more than made up for it," Sirius said trying to cheer up.

**Lupin sighed.**

"Do you still feel guilty about that?" Sirius asked him softly and Remus shrugged.

Albus sighed knowing that Remus would be thinking if he wasn't a werewolf the tree would not have been planted. "There is nothing for you to feel guilty about, Remus," he said kindly. "It wasn't your fault that the broom hit the willow."

"Might've as well been," Remus added to himself.

**"****They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance."**

**"****Did you hear about the Dementors too?" said Harry with difficulty.**

**Lupin looked at him quickly.**

**"****Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. **

Sirius shuddered involuntarily and wrapped his arms around himself as though there was a sudden chill in the air; remembering seeing the Headmaster that angry once before right after that trick he pulled on Snape. Remus noticed and gave his shoulder a bracing squeeze.

Several people suppressed a shudder at the memory and Albus's rage at the Dementors. It was one of the few times he lost his cool and snapped… one of the few things that have that effect was when any of his students was put into danger.

**They have been growing restless for some time… furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds… I suppose they were the reason you fell?"**

"Furious Dementors…" Arthur said flatly, appalled at the very ideda. "Horrible."

"Let's just be glad that they never came into the castle," Minerva said firmly. She quivered at the idea of having those things near the children.

**"Stupid Dementors."**

**"****Yes," said Harry. He hesitated, and then the question he had to ask burst from him before he could stop himself. "Why? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just —?"**

**"****It has nothing to do with weakness," said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. "The Dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have."**

Sirius shook his head, his conscience wracked with guilt once again.

"Poor Harry," Molly mumbled her lip trembling before looking up at Remus and said, "I'm so glad you are there for him, Remus."

Remus smiled sadly at her. At least he was able to do something for James's son.

"Yeah, but it would be nice if you just tell him that you and James were mates," Sirius said rather stiffly.

"I had a good reason for not telling him," Remus answered sadly. "Though I wish I could've."

**A ray of wintry sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's gray hairs and the lines on his young face.**

"Grey hairs," repeated Sirius sadly, gazing at his friend prematurely grey face.

"You sure age pretty quickly huh, Professor Moony?" Tonks said with a frown, looking at Remus, who she had noticed looked much older than he was supposed to be. Which was strange because she never thought of him as old before.

"It's the stress," Remus stated with a grim smile as he ran his hand through his gray hairs in a depressed manner. "The pain of transformation doesn't help me either. Such is the life of a werewolf…"

He must've realized just how dejected he sounded because he smiled at her and said, "You don't need to worry though. I like to think that it makes me look wise beyond my years."

"Well, if you want to look like an old man…" Sirius said. "Who are we to stop you?"

Remus responded with a quick punch to the shoulder. "Oww," Sirius groaned rubbing where Remus had hit him. "You forget just how strong you are, Professor Moony!"

"Hmm," Tonks said, "Smart and strong…"

Remus didn't have a clue to what to say to that, so he merely asked Kingsley, who was smiling at the couple, to keep reading.

**"****Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself — soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Harry, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."**

Several people flinched at that as if they had all been struck. Their thoughts became dark as they thought off all the suffering that one child had to go through once again… more than anyone had gone through in their whole lifetimes.

"Oh, I hope he listened to you, Remus," Molly said, she didn't want him brooding over this anymore.

**"****When they get near me —" Harry stared at Lupin's desk, his throat tight. "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."**

Kingsley out the last line with difficulty, and many of them shut their eyes.

A look of pain crossed Severus's face; his heart clenching hearing her name. Even after fourteen years the pain hadn't faded away. Hearing her name… seeing her eyes on her son… it was all a reminder of what he had lost.

"That was hard to hear," Remus mumbled, remembering just how devastated he was when he heard about Lily and James's deaths… and how horror-struck he was when Harry had told him that.

"Harry must really trust you, Remus," Arthur said kindly. "He trusted you enough to tell you this. He hadn't even told Ron and Hermione yet…"

Remus smiled slightly, but then he noticed Sirius's grumpy expression.

"Sirius?" he asked worriedly. "Is there something wrong?"

Sirius didn't say anything to him; he just looked away from his friend as he thought that over—trying hard to ignore the feelings of jealousy that invaded his heart.

**Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then —**

"Yes," said Remus bleakly, "That was really hard for me to hear. To actually be forced to hear what happened that night…" he shuddered unable to finish.

**"****Why did they have to come to the match?" said Harry bitterly.**

**"****They're getting hungry," said Lupin coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up… I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement… emotions running high… it was their idea of a feast."**

"Sick," Tonks grumbled in disgust. "That is just sick."

**"****Azkaban must be terrible," Harry muttered. Lupin nodded grimly.**

"How would you know?" Sirius said, colder than he had planned. "You were never there."

No one, no one unless they've been to that hell could possibly know just how like hell it was. No one unless they've been forced to live there could know just how tempting dying was instead of living in frozen misery for the rest of your days. He couldn't stand to look at any of them, instead just glared up at the ceiling.

**"****The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheery thought. Most of them go mad within weeks."**

**"****But Sirius Black escaped from them," Harry said slowly. "He got away…"**

"Well, he didn't do just to make the headlines," said Tonks in a serious voice.

"Well, I can't deny that was definitely a bonus," Sirius joked, though he still wasn't looking at them.

**Lupin's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.**

"Another mention of an old friend from school! Sounds like Potter is killing you by him mentioning all your old friends," Mad-Eye stated.

"He didn't know the truth," Remus said tiredly. "And by this point in the story, he still doesn't know who exactly Sirius is and their connection."

"Wonder when someone finally tells him," Kingsley said as he looked up at Dumbledore. "Dumbledore did you…?"

Albus shook his head, "No, I didn't tell him."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Sirius muttered as Albus said, "I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth."

"Even though it wasn't…" Sirius growled again.

"Well, it makes me wonder why Potter hasn't lost his mind just yet from all the secrets being kept from him," Mad-Eye muttered. "Wonder who finally came out and told him the truth?"

**"****Yes," he said, straightening up, "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible… **

Sirius frowned, finally looking back down. "Please call me Sirius," he begged Remus. "I hate it when you just call me, Black. You of all people know just how much I hate my last name. And here, you're talking about me, Remus, as if we never met. Or as if you wish you never knew me."

"I know," Remus replied apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sirius. But I honestly didn't think that you were innocent. If I had known…" he shook his head in self-disgust. "I would've done everything I could to at least have gotten you a trial… and I know that this doesn't mean much now… but I'm sorry for ever thinking that you were ever the traitor."

Sirius bit his lip. Damn it… that was the Moony he knew… he was always able to make you feel guilty about your actions. If there was one thing he always hated about Remus, was that he couldn't hate him for long. He felt his anger ebb away and clapped him on the shoulder.

"No, it was Wormtail who ruined everything," he said. "Don't blame yourself."

**Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long…"**

Sirius was feeling sick just thinking about it. Sometimes he woke up, still thinking he was in that lonely little cell. Being trapped in this house didn't help with that.

"How were you able to stay sane?" Kingsley asked him in amazement. "Not many people could do that, I don't think _I_ could do it."

"Didn't have any happy memories left," Sirius said darkly, "So there wasn't anything that they could suck away. I just held onto one single thought… that was the only thing that kept me from losing my mind."

"What was that?" Arthur asked, wondering what on earth could've kept someone sane after being in Azkaban.

"I was innocent," Sirius answered simply. "It was a truthful thought, not a happy one. That was what kept me going… that and the idea that Wormtail was still alive out there. The idea of getting revenge developed into an obsession and that was what kept me from giving up and dying."

"You should've have dwelled on that," Tonks began concerned.

"What else could I do?" he asked bitterly. "Let's face it, I was in prison, you've got nothing but free time. The only thing _free_ in there…"

He looked to the window at the bright sunny day and tried to hide a whimper. Just an hour outside everyday… was that too much to want? Being trapped in this house with all the bad memories would surely kill him sooner or later.

**"You made that Dementor on the train back off," said Harry suddenly.**

**"****There are — certain defenses one can use," said Lupin. "But there was only one Dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."**

**"****What defenses?" said Harry at once. "Can you teach me?"**

**"****I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors, Harry — quite the contrary…"**

"Oh, go on, Remus, do it!" exclaimed Sirius desperately, wanting his godson to be able to protect himself. "Any help you give him would've helped, the Dementors seem to have taken a liking to Harry and he needs to learn it. He really needs the protection."

Before Remus could reply, Kingsley read out the next line:

**"****But if the Dementors come to another Quidditch match, I need to be able to fight them —"**

"Harry…" exclaimed Albus in a slightly annoyed voice, while several others shook their heads, not believing that anyone could actually care so little about their own safety and more about a Quidditch match.

Tonks thought it over and said, "You know? It's a good thing he did care so much. Otherwise, he might not have been able to learn it." Albus nodded sagaciously and said as though commenting on yesterday's weather "I agree it is an remarkable feat and I am very relieved that he did, but he could worry more about his own safety and less about the game."

"I don't think he wants to worry about it," Kingsley muttered.

"Did you really think he could do it?" Mad-Eye asked Remus suddenly.

Remus bit his lip; wondering how he should answer. "I wasn't sure what to think. After all, he was only a third year and the Patronus Charm is very difficult. Most adults have trouble with it."

"You're forgetting who it is you're dealing with," Arthur said smiling.

"Yes, I really should've known…" Remus agreed. "Harry has his mother's determination and stubbornness… and his father's perseverance."

"True that," Sirius nodded, "How else do you think he was able to get Lily to go out with him? He had been asking her out for years… until finally I think she got so sick of him asking she finally said yes just to get him to stop."

Severus's eyes narrowed is hatred at the memory of Lily finally saying yes.

**Lupin looked into Harry's determined face, hesitated, then said, "Well… all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill."**

"You know something? He looked so much like James when he did that," Remus whispered to Sirius who smiled sadly, remembering all the times that determined face would appear whenever they thought of a task that seemed impossible. That face meant that they were going to do it even if it killed them.

"_'Chose'?_," repeated Sirius sarcastically, not wanting to think about those happy memories for too long. "Moony, you never choose to get sick. Especially your time of the month…"

But Albus was smiling, "I'm glad that you decided to help him, Remus."

"Yeah well," Sirius muttered, "Someone had to since you're no help."

**What with the promise of anti-Dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that he might never have to hear his mother's death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, Harry's mood took a definite upturn. Gryffindor were not out of the running after all,** **although they could not afford to lose another match. **

"I can't believe he cares so much about a stupid Quidditch game and so little about himself," muttered Molly shaking her head. Boys and their sports… it was a wonder why they didn't get killed yet…

Albus was lost in his thoughts… thinking about all of this. Each year, mysterious and dark things happen to Harry, and several times his life was placed in real danger… pretty par for the course, really. But the boy's third year was different from the others.

Dementors… they were the embodiments of misery and fear… With most people they cause depression and hopelessness, but for Harry, the experience is much worse… he heard voices from his past, relived the moments when, as an infant, Voldemort killed his parents, and tried to kill him. He hears the voice of his mother, screaming and pleading, moments before Voldemort ended her life. That was what really caused him to fall from his broom that day…

But just like every other time, Harry faced his fears head-on.

Facing your fears and overcoming them with determination and courage? That explains Harry to a T. Harry is not perfect. He doesn't get perfect grades, he gets into fights with his friends, he breaks the rules, and he gets into trouble here and there just like any other kid. He also doesn't understand everything that's going on around him, and sometimes he makes mistakes. But the important thing seems to be that he keeps trying, he keeps learning, and he wants to do the right thing.

Albus clenched his fists tightly. Something that he himself never had been able to do… once more, proving that Harry was a better person then he ever was.

**Wood became repossessed of his manic energy, and worked his team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. Harry saw no hint of a Dementor within the grounds. Dumbledore's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances.**

"Yes," said Severus, though he said it a little cautiously, "I imagine your anger could keep them from acting out again."

"Your anger does have that effect," said Minerva knowingly and Albus couldn't help but smile proudly at that.

**Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Both Ron and Hermione had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and though Ron said it was because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy,**

"I don't blame him for that!" interjected Sirius darkly. Percy reminded him too much of Crouch… and how the man dedicated his whole life to his job and to becoming Minister. And look where that got him!? His wife dead, he was killed by his own son who had his soul sucked out—he flinched at the idea, remembering how that could've been him—before Crouch was transfigured into a bone and buried outside Hagrid's hut. Percy was in danger of going down that same path if he didn't change soon.

Molly and Arthur both looked down at those words, their hearts still weighed down heavily at the thought of their son not talking to them. Worried, that something was going to happen to them before they would ever have the chance to make up.

Arthur looked grim and stared down at his hands, disappointment in both himself and Percy flooding through him. Molly must've known what he was feeling because she took his hand sadly. She couldn't help but wonder where those happy days had gone.

**and Hermione insisted she needed to use the library, Harry wasn't fooled; they were doing it to keep him company, and he was very grateful.**

"Oh, now those are real friends!" Tonks said happily.

Molly then added, "I'm glad they're such good friends. I don't know how… but the three of them really seem to belong together in some weird way don't they?"

"Yes," Minerva said thinking it over and seeing the three of them always at each other's sides. "I can't disagree with that."

Others nodded as Kingsley went on.

**To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.**

**"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"**

"While I agree that they're good friends," agreed Mad-Eye grimly, "But they're not particularly tactful though are they?"

"You're kinda the last person to be talking about anyone else not having any tact, Mad-Eye," Tonks reminded him.

"What?" he asked with both eyes turned to her.

"You always get to the point," she informed him. "You don't beat around the bush. You come right out and say what's on your mind don't you?"

"Only because no one else has enough guts to come out and say what needs to be said," he answered gruffly. "Everyone insists on coddling others, to afraid of how they're going to react that they keep things quiet which could end badly."

He looked over at Albus as he said that and finished by, "But that's the way it goes I guess."

"Well, I guess that goes double for you as well," Sirius grinned at Tonks. "You have no problems speaking your mind."

"I may speak my mind," she told him. "Which is a good thing… but I know that there's a time and place for it."

**Resigned to the fact that he would be the only third year staying behind again, Harry borrowed a copy of Which Broomstick from Wood, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. He had been riding one of the school brooms at team practice, an ancient Shooting Star, which was very slow and jerky; he definitely needed a new broom of his own.**

Those who flew the old school brooms all laughed, although without much amusement, and agreed fervently with Harry's words, knowing all too well how miserable those old brooms are.

"You need to consider getting some new school brooms, Albus," Minerva said. "You can't honestly think those brooms can last much longer do you?"

"Oh, I've been thinking about it," Albus informed her. "Madam Hooch has been pestering me to no end about those for the last few years. But I'm afraid that I never got around to doing it. I do hope that she will bear with them for a little longer though."

"Well, it's a good thing that I got Harry a new broom," Sirius grinned. "There was no chance that I could let him go flying that piece of junk now could I?"

"Apparently, only the best broom was good enough for you to buy for him," said Remus with a smile.

"But of course," Sirius grinned. "I wasn't going to settle for anything less."

**On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry bid good-bye to Ron and Hermione, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the marble staircase alone, and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.**

**"****Psst — Harry!"**

**He turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Fred and George peering out at him from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.**

"Oh, no," Molly groaned as Minerva and Severus narrowed their eyes, not liking where this was going. "What are they up to now?"

**"****What are you doing?" said Harry curiously. "How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?"**

**"****We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go," said Fred, with a mysterious wink. "Come in here…"**

Sirius and Remus grinned and Snape's lip was curling horribly as they figured out what this was about. Everyone else on the other hand, who knew next to nothing about the map, didn't have the slightest idea what was going on.

"The Map!" cried Sirius excitedly. "They must have the map and are going to give it to Harry."

"So they were the ones who had it," Remus said nodding with a smile. "I should've known. But I can't help but wonder how they got hold of it."

"I hope they'll explain," Sirius said proudly, wiping a fake tear from his eye. "Our map has fallen into the right hands. Right into the next generation of rule-breakers to carry on the noble tradition of causing as much mayhem and trouble as possible."

"What's so important about this map?" Minerva asked with a frown, not liking the idea that it would help others into breaking the rules. However it seems like she'll finally find out how they always managed to disappear right after they pulled off some prank… almost like they _knew_ that the teachers were coming.

"And I hardly call what you both did in school, _noble_," Severus sneered.

Sirius pretended not to hear him as he chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "You'll all find out what it is in a minute. Though I know that you'll going to be impressed."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Mad-Eye muttered, it was very hard to impress him.

**He nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Harry followed Fred and George inside. George closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at Harry.**

**"****Early Christmas present for you, Harry," he said.**

**Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. **

Sirius and Remus grinned even wider; delighted that it was finally going into the rightful hands.

**Harry, suspecting one of Fred and George's jokes, stared at it.**

**"****What's that supposed to be?"**

**"****This, Harry, is the secret of our success," said George, patting the parchment fondly.**

**"****It's a wrench, giving it to you," said Fred, "but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours."**

"They're going to just give it to him?!" Sirius said in delight. "I can't believe they just handed him the map like that! Who knew that they could be so generous? I find it hard to believe that anyone would just hand something that special over to someone else like that."

"Technically, it does belong to Harry since he is the only heir to the marauders," Remus pointed out in a whisper. "It's his by default, though I doubt that anyone besides you and me knew that at the time."

"They can be very generous when they want to be," Molly said thinking how the twins had bought Ron some new dress robes over the summer… she never did understand why they did that though she was immensely proud that they did. "Though I wish that you would tell me what's so special about this map."

'_Yes, I noticed Fred and George like that as well,' _thought Arthur._ 'They treated Harry better than they treat most people… they haven't even tried to pull any pranks on him… they must really respect him if they do this.'_

**"****Anyway, we know it by heart," said George. "We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."**

**"****And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?" said Harry.**

"'A bit of old parchment'!" repeated Sirius in horror with a hand over his heart as if he had just been stabbed. "For shame, Harry. For shame… you trying to break my heart?"

"But he's got a good point," Tonks said confused. "Why would he need a piece of old parchment?"

"It's not just a piece of old parchment," Sirius said harshly. "Keep reading, Kingsley and I'm sure that you'll find out."

**"****A bit of old parchment!" said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. **

"I know the feeling, Fred," Sirius said shaking his head.

**"Explain, George."**

**"****Well… when we were in our first year, Harry — young, carefree, and innocent —"**

"Those two have never been innocent," Severus retorted.

"I think they mean more innocent then they are now," Arthur laughed.

**Harry snorted. He doubted whether Fred and George had ever been innocent.**

"Quite," agreed Molly dryly, remembering all the trouble the two of them got into ever since they learned to walk. As soon as they were up and moving, they were constantly giving her heart attacks.

**" — ****well, more innocent than we are now — we got into a spot of bother with Filch."**

**"****We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason —"**

"Can't think why it would upset him," snickered Sirius merrily and he thought back to all the times that he set off Dungbombs in the corridor and he had to finish by saying, "You think he would be used to this by now."

**"****So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual —"**

**"— ****detention —"**

**"— ****disembowelment —"**

**"— ****and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."**

"Yes!" Sirius grinned. He turned to Remus. "I told you that leaving it behind was the best idea."

"What are you talking about?" Tonks asked, not having a clue to what they were talking about.

"Once we were almost done with our seventh year, we were wondering what to do with the map once we were gone. So we decided that we would leave it behind at the school for future troublemakers to find and to use later." Sirius explained, grinning. "Pass on the great tradition of causing grief for Filch and the teachers."

"We got Filch to confiscate it by making him think it was dangerous," Remus finished, "Looks like that he was never able to figure out how it worked."

"I can't believe you both," Minerva said as she shot an exasperated glance at the two Marauders, Sirius beaming at them all as if getting their map labeled as 'confiscated and highly dangerous' was a good thing.

**"****Don't tell me —" said Harry, starting to grin.**

**"Well, what would you've done?" said Fred. "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed — this."**

**"****It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said George. "We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."**

**"****And you know how to work it?"**

"I wonder how they figured it out," mused Remus.

"They must've been up to no good," Sirius said grinning. "How else could they have gotten it to work?"

**"****Oh yes," said Fred, smirking. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."**

Remus and Sirius couldn't help but smile at that; very proud of the hand they had in helping the next generation out.

"Think we should tell them who the Marauders are?" Remus whispered to him softly.

"And spoil the fun?" Sirius whispered back.

**"****You're winding me up," said Harry, looking at the ragged old bit of parchment.**

**"Oh, are we?" said George.**

**He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."**

"They're always up to no good," sneered Severus. "How could this time be different from all the others?"

**And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. **

"It figures that would be your password to open the map," Minerva said looking at them. "I remember you saying that several times at school, and sure enough, something bad would happen."

"You flatter me, Minerva," Sirius grinned happily.

**They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:**

_**Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs**_

_**Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present**_

_**THE MARAUDER'S MAP**_

**It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing.**

"Wow, that's really amazing," Tonks said astounded, wishing that she could see it in person.

"You guys made something like that?" Arthur asked amazed.

Both Marauders looked smug at that and Sirius said, "It's something that the three of us made together."

He didn't count Wormtail of course. As far as he was concerned, that rat didn't deserve the honor of being called a Marauder. Besides, Wormtail couldn't think of anything to add to the map, so really he hadn't done a damn thing to help make it… something that he was suddenly grateful for. He couldn't stand the thought of having him work on something that he always took pride in. Next time he saw Harry he would have to be sure to take Wormtail's name off.

"Impressive," Albus stated, both stunned and amused. "That is some impressive magic. How did you do it?"

"James came up with the idea to make a map of Hogwarts," Sirius told them. "Because even the best pranksters get lost sometimes. I came up with the idea of being able to magically wipe it blank so that not just anyone can read it, and Remus was the one who thought about having it show where people were at the time. So the three of us all added our own piece of magic to it and woola!"

"Wow, when did you make it?" Kingsley said, "We should start making maps like that for assignments. Merlin, some of the trainee Aurors need it."

Even Severus looked slightly impressed, though he did his best to hide it—he would rather have his head bashed in then ever admit that they actually made something useful.

"Well, once we started exploring the castle in first year," explained Remus. "We made small versions of the map to help get around. But we didn't start making the Marauders Map until our third year. We thought it would be a good idea to record where the secret passages were, and to somehow it lead to this."

"It was around fifth year, right after we took our O.W.L.'s," continued Sirius. "We were finally able to finish it."

"After many hours of tears and frustration," Remus finished grimly.

"But it was worth the pain," Sirius stated proudly.

"No wonder I could never catch you in the act," Minerva muttered. "Not that I needed it, you would always go bragging about it later on at dinner."

"What's the point of doing something if you don't get the credit for it?" Sirius asked shrewdly.

"That is a really impressive map," Tonks grinned. "I want to see it now."

"We'll have to ask Harry over next summer," Sirius promised her. "Where he will be spending it here," he added coldly to Albus, reminding him that he wasn't going to let the old man send Harry back to number 4. He would make sure that Harry will be coming here… he didn't care how long it took, he was going to nail this into Dumbledore's head.

**Astounded, Harry bent over it. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Harry's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, he noticed something else.**

"Amazing," murmured Albus deeply impressed with the skill that his former students had and must have used to be able to create something like that.

"Thanks," they both said proudly, Sirius looking at a scowling Severus as he said that.

**This map showed a set of passages he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead —**

"You have all the secret passages that lead out of the school on that map?" Molly asked angrily. "I don't think it's a good idea for them to be sneaking out. Especially during these times!"

"We always snuck out and never got into any trouble," Sirius said. "And Harry is a Marauder's son. It would be a crime if he never snuck out."

"Like he needs anymore incentive to break the rules and get in trouble," she snapped back. "There's a war going on and Voldemort's after Harry! Sneaking out could get him killed! Voldemort has his spies everywhere. One of them could take him at any time."

"How could they? You guys are watching his every move 24/7!" Sirius yelled back.

"We do this to make sure he's safe," Albus said quietly.

"Oh, don't get me started," Sirius snarled at him. "You are the last person to be talking about keeping him safe!"

Albus's eyes darkened with sadness. He had to grip the arms of his chair tightly because they were threatening to start trembling. What had he done?

Sirius was glaring daggers at the Headmaster, whose head was bowed to avoid looking at him. A small smirk played on Sirius's lips as he thought about how Dumbledore would feel after hearing all this, knowing it was all his fault for most of the suffering in Harry's life. Just thinking like that seemed to make his own sense of guilt ease slightly. _'He deserves whatever he gets,' _he thought bitterly.

Sirius made a vow to himself that he would do everything in his power to keep Harry safe, happy and healthy. And sure, he had done a rotten job of it so far, but he would die rather than let his godson get hurt once again.

**"****Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four" —**

Sirius cursed under his breath, "Four? You mean he found another one? Last I checked, he only knew where three of them were."

"Unfortunately," Remus said patting his shoulder. "But it has been over a decade since we were going, Padfoot. He was sure to find another one sooner or later."

Sirius nodded, though he wasn't happy about it.

**he pointed them out — "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in — completely blocked.**

"Damn, that was a really good one to. Very roomy," Sirius said thinking of all the times that the Marauders would hide out down there. But then he suddenly remembered what Harry said to him about it a few months ago when they talked through the fireplace. _"Fred and George told me it's blocked. Caved in or something."_

**And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance.**

"Yeah, I highly doubt anyone has used it," Tonks stated wryly, and Remus simply smiled slightly.

"No, of course not, why would anyone ever use that one?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

**But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."**

Severus smirked, making plans to board up that witch as soon as he got back to the castle.

**"****Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."**

**"****Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," said Fred solemnly.**

Sirius let out another bark of a laugh. "Delighted to be of service," he cried out before standing up and taking a bow. "And our legacy lives on."

Tonks applauded loudly as if they were part of a large crowd, Mad-Eye rolled his eyes (both of them) Kingsley and Arthur chuckled lightly, Minerva and Molly pursed their lips tightly, Remus was torn between laughter and exasperation. Severus glared and Albus still seemed to be lost in his own head.

"For goodness sake, Sirius," Minerva said after nearly a minute of bowing and smiling at them all as if he just won some fantastic prize. "Sit down. It's not that wonderful."

"It must be nice to live such a simple life," Severus sneered with his lip curling.

Sirius gave him a nasty look. "At least I have something to look back on and smile," he said. "You don't even have that much."

Severus gritted his teeth so hard that it felt like his teeth were about to break. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew that Black was itching for a fight. In fact, if it wasn't for Dumbledore's hard look, he would've cursed him to pieces long ago. So instead, he looked back to the book, wishing that they would just get the stupid chapter over with so that he could leave.

**"****Right," said George briskly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it —"**

**"— ****or anyone can read it," Fred said warningly.**

**"****Just tap it again and say, 'Mischief managed!' And it'll go blank."**

**"****So, young Harry," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "mind you behave yourself."**

**"****See you in Honeydukes," said George, winking.**

**They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way.**

"I love these two! They're great!" laughed Tonks, "That is one awesome gift!"

"No, it's not great!" snapped Molly at once, turning to glare at them all. "He's not supposed to be in Hogsmeade, it's not safe for him!"

Remus looked down at his hands uncomfortably, knowing that Molly was right about that. But when he looked up, he saw that Sirius' lips had twisted into a scowl.

Molly noticed it as well, and she said impatiently, "I only meant that there are Dementors out there! Isn't that danger enough for you to want him to stay safely in the castle? You know what they're like! They aren't the type of creature to forgive! And besides, Harry isn't supposed to be in Hogsmeade. If he was caught then he'd been in so much trouble."

'_Like Dumbledore would ever expel his favorite 'Golden Boy,'_ Severus thought scathingly with a dark look at the Headmaster who for some reason was still looking depressed.

Several grimaced at Molly, some still looking like they disagreed, but they didn't say anything and waited for Kingsley to keep reading.

**Harry stood there, gazing at the miraculous map. He watched the tiny ink Mrs. Norris turn left and pause to sniff at something on the floor. If Filch really didn't know… he wouldn't have to pass the Dementors at all…**

Everyone glanced involuntarily at Molly, who was looking both furious and defensive. Was it too much to ask for that she wanted Harry and everyone else safe?

**But even as he stood there, flooded with excitement, something Harry had once heard Mr. Weasley say came floating out of his memory.**

_**Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain.**_

"At least he pays attention…" Arthur sighed thinking back to when he first gave that piece of advice and couldn't remember ever feeling sadder.

"But the Map's nothing like the diary!" protested Sirius at once, looking outraged at the very idea. "Harry doesn't have a thing to worry about. It's rightfully his—not the least bit dangerous. Of course it's safe!"

"Most likely the only thing that you have that isn't dangerous," Severus muttered to himself so that Sirius couldn't hear.

"I have to agree with that," Remus said calmly. "The diary was full of Dark magic that did indeed have a mind of its own. But the Map's nothing like that. It doesn't have a brain or thoughts. The only thing it can do besides give you a map of the school and show you were everyone is, is insult you if you try to open it without the password. It can't really think for itself."

"Well, that somewhat a relief," Molly said. "Though I still don't think he should be doing this."

"Molly," Sirius said impatiently. "What's the point of keeping him alive if he isn't allowed to live?" He had a strong hope of hearing his godson see the village for the first time, he wanted to hear about Harry sneaking around and having fun and generally acting like an irresponsible kid for a change. He wasn't going to let Molly take that hope away from him. But as he said that sentence, he gave another glare to Dumbledore who looked back at him sadly.

Albus knew that Sirius wasn't just talking about Harry. Neither one seemed to realize that it was for their best interests… he was trying everything he could to keep them both alive. He knew that he more than deserved their anger… but he couldn't deny that it was hurting him to hear that they blamed him… even though he knew deep down that it was his fault.

But everything he did, he did to try and keep them safe. He could only hope that they would understand that someday.

**This map was one of those dangerous magical objects Mr. Weasley had been warning against… Aids for Magical Mischief Makers… but then, Harry reasoned, he only wanted to use it to get into Hogsmeade, it wasn't as though he wanted to steal anything or attack anyone… and Fred and George had been using it for years without anything horrible happening…**

"Maybe not to them," said Tonks. "But Harry has the worst luck out of everyone I've ever met.

"I can't argue with that," Mad-Eye agreed.

**Harry traced the secret passage to Honeydukes with his finger.**

**Then, quite suddenly, as though following orders, he rolled up the map, stuffed it inside his robes, and hurried to the door of the classroom. He opened it a couple of inches. There was no one outside. Very carefully, he edged out of the room and behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.**

"That's my boy," said Sirius approvingly, and his lips were curved up into a wide grin. He was so excited to read about his godson's marauder side that he couldn't contain himself. It made him feel closer to him, knowing that Harry was using something that he himself had held, used and created with the sole purpose to go against the rules. "He'll be a full Marauder in no time."

Snape resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The last thing they needed was another group like the Marauders at the school, which thankfully, Potter and his meddlesome friends were not…

Wait… when did he stop thinking that they weren't? Ok, this book was doing something to him.

**What did he have to do? He pulled out the map again and saw to his astonishment, that a new ink figure had appeared upon it, labeled 'Harry Potter'. **

"Wouldn't his little ink figure have been there all along?" Tonks asked in surprise.

"No," Remus explained. "It's how the Map works. You have to be moving around, otherwise your name won't appear."

"Ah," she said. "So there is a chance that you could still get caught?"

"A very slim chance," he nodded. "But imagine if you had every single person's name in the school all shown up there all the time. That would be hard to tell who to avoid, and where your friends are."

**This figure was standing exactly where the real Harry was standing, about halfway down the third-floor corridor. Harry watched carefully. His little Ink self appeared to be tapping the witch with his minute wand. Harry quickly took out his real wand and tapped the statue. Nothing happened. He looked back at the map. The tiniest speech bubble had appeared next to his figure. The word inside said, 'Dissendium.'**

"That's brilliant!" breathed Tonks, making Sirius look rather smug. "Oh, I wish I knew that while I was still going. If I ever go back to the school I'm going to try it."

'_Not if I seal it up first,'_ Severus thought to himself. That was definitely going to be on the top of his 'to do' list.

**"****Dissendium!" Harry whispered, tapping the stone witch again.**

**At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. Harry glanced quickly up and down the corridor, then tucked the map away again, hoisted himself into the hole headfirst, and pushed himself forward.**

**He slid a considerable way down what felt like a stone slide, then landed on cold, damp earth. He stood up, looking around. It was pitch dark. He held up his wand, muttered, "Lumos!" and saw that he was in a very narrow, low, earthy passageway. He raised the map, tapped it with the tip of his wand, and muttered, "Mischief managed!" The map went blank at once. He folded it carefully, tucked it inside his robes, then, heart beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, he set off.**

Molly frowned as she shook her head disapprovingly, but she had to admit that even she was excited about hearing Harry's reaction to Hogsmeade.

**The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Harry hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding his wand out in front of him.**

**It took ages, but Harry had the thought of Honeydukes to sustain him. After what felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Harry sped up, his face hot, his feet very cold.**

"Just be careful about end of the passage, it's hard to see," Sirius warned, forgetting that this already happened. "We've hit our head several times on that"

"No, Padfoot," Remus stated fighting a laugh. "_You've_ hit your head many times we used that passage."

Sirius flushed, but then looked away indignantly. "It's not my fault that it's dark in there."

Remus just smiled as Kingsley went on.

**Ten minutes later, he came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above him. Careful not to make any noise, Harry began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, he lost count as he climbed, watching his feet… then, without warning, his head hit something hard.**

"See! It's easy to hit your head on it!" Sirius cried out.

"It was his first time in the tunnel," Arthur reminded him. "And he didn't know that would happen."

**It seemed to be a trapdoor. Harry stood there, massaging the top of his head, listening. He couldn't hear any sounds above him. Very slowly, he pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge.**

**He was in a cellar, which was full of wooden crates and boxes. Harry climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it — it blended so perfectly with the dusty floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. Harry crept slowly toward the wooden staircase that led upstairs. Now he could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door.**

**Wondering what he ought to do, he suddenly heard a door open much closer at hand; somebody was about to come downstairs.**

**"****And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out —" said a woman's voice.**

**A pair of feet was coming down the staircase. Harry leapt behind an enormous crate and waited for the footsteps to pass. He heard the man shifting boxes against the opposite wall. He might not get another chance —**

"He should've brought that cloak of his," Mad-Eye said in disappointment. "He's out in the open."

"But I don't think he would've bothered to go back for it when he was that near to the passage," Remus said smiling. "He would've been too excited to waste time and go and get it."

"I can understand that," Sirius laughed, knowing he wouldn't have had the patience to get the cloak either.

**Quickly and silently, Harry dodged out from his hiding place and climbed the stairs; looking back, he saw an enormous backside and shiny bald head, buried in a box. Harry reached the door at the top of the stairs, slipped through it, and found himself behind the counter of Honeydukes — he ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up.**

**Honeydukes was so crowded with Hogwarts students that no one looked twice at Harry. He edged among them, looking around, and suppressed a laugh as he imagined the look that would spread over Dudley's piggy face if he could see where Harry was now.**

A couple of them grinned rather cruelly, thinking that it would be great to rub in Dudley's face later on.

**There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' — sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons.**

Albus laughed as he looked over at all his former students, most of which were actually drooling at the descriptions of all the sweets.

"I wish I can go back to Honeydukes," Sirius sighed, his stomach roaring with hunger.

"Why did Harry have to go into such good details?" Tonks grinned. "It's like I'm there too… and I want some peppermint creams now."

**Harry squeezed himself through a crowd of sixth years and saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (UNUSUAL TASTES). Ron and Hermione were standing underneath it, examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops. Harry sneaked up behind them.**

"Who would want that?" Tonks asked shaking her head. "Blood-flavored lollipops?"

**"****Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.**

"Of course… vampires," Tonks said having her question answered.

**"****How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.**

**"****Definitely not," said Harry.**

**Ron nearly dropped the jar.**

**"****Harry!" squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here? How — how did you —?"**

**"****Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"**

"Oh, here we go," Minerva said pinching the bridge of her nose. "How many times do we have to go over this? You can't Apparate or Disapparate in the Hogwarts grounds."

She looked back to Dumbledore and asked, "Please, you must put _'Hogwarts: A History'_ for the next year school list."

"I'll be sure to keep it in mind," he promised her.

**"'****Course I haven't," said Harry. He dropped his voice so that none of the sixth years could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map.**

**"****How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" said Ron, outraged. "I'm their brother!"**

"But Harry's the proper heir, he is the only son of a marauder after all," Sirius smiling. "It rightfully belongs to him."

**"****But Harry isn't going to keep it!" said Hermione, as though the idea were ludicrous. **

"What?" said Tonks and Sirius's in disbelief just as Kingsley read out:

**"He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"**

"NO!" Tonks and Sirius roared so loudly that everyone else jumped and stared angrily at them.

"Is she crazy? Why would she want Harry to do that?" Sirius said shocked. "It's his rightful heirloom. He can't get rid of it!"

"She might've thought it was dangerous to be lying around. It could have been dangerous to lose that," Kingsley reasoned. "She must've been worried that you would get hold of it and go after Harry."

Sirius slouched down in his seat, his good mood evaporating a he glared around at them all. "Like I would've needed it. I know all the secret passages by heart."

"Yes, but they didn't know that," he answered kindly.

**"****No, I'm not!" said Harry.**

"Good," Sirius said firmly, nodding his head. "Don't you dare hand it over to anyone."

Remus looked over at him slightly concerned. He was wondering what Sirius would say when he finds out that _he_ took the map.

**"****Are you mad?" said Ron, goggling at Hermione. "Hand in something that good?"**

**"****If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it! Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!"**

Albus beamed while Severus was looking more annoyed with each second. He doesn't want to hand it in because he thinks that the twins would get in trouble for it? Does this boy have a selfish bone in his body?

**"****But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"**

"No, they don't," Sirius grumbled to himself, angry with Hermione for even suggesting it.

"Well," Minerva said. "We know about it now."

**"****He can't be getting in through a passage," said Harry quickly. "There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three — one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through — well — it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar — so unless he knew it was there —"**

"Oh, don't worry about that, Harry," Sirius said in mock seriousness. "I _did_ know it was there."

"That wouldn't be much of a comfort to him at the time," Arthur pointed out.

**Harry hesitated. What if Black did know the passage was there? Ron, however, cleared his throat significantly, and pointed to a notice pasted on the inside of the sweetshop door.**

_**BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**_

_**Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall.**_

_**Happy Christmas!**_

Sirius shook his head in disappointment. That was nowhere near enough to stop him. Slipping into that shop was easy. All he had to do was wait until someone opened the door and he snuck past them as Padfoot and hid behind the counter until the owners weren't looking and sneak to the cellar. It was a lot easier than it sounded.

"Seems like you were causing a lot of trouble, Sirius," Kingsley said smiling.

"Nothing new there," Severus growled.

**"****See?" said Ron quietly. "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!"**

"It's how I got in the first time," Sirius stated, unable to hid the self-satisfied sound in his voice.

**"****Yes, but — but —" Hermione seemed to be struggling to find another problem. **

"In other words, she doesn't want Harry to have any fun at all," said Sirius coolly.

"No, she's just worried for her friend because he was in Hogsmeade without permission, he's managed to get a map full of secret passages, which would get him in even more trouble later on, and last but not least she thinks a mass murderer is after him, who broke into Hogwarts not long ago!" said Molly coldly.

"Picky," Sirius grumbled to himself and folding his arms.

**"Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet — what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"**

Sirius groaned and rolled his eyes, "She worries too much! She's making it sound like this is something bad."

"She cares about her friend, Sirius," Minerva defended at once. "From her point of view, all the evidence suggested that you're trying to kill him!"

Sirius flinched away as if her words physically hurt him, but there was still a grain of defiance in him. "That or she doesn't like to admit that she's wrong," he muttered.

Kingsley, noticing the angry look on Minerva's face, he decided that it would be for the best if he went on.

**"****He'd have a job spotting Harry in this," said Ron, nodding through the mullioned windows at the thick, swirling snow. "Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas. Harry deserves a break."**

**Hermione bit her lip, looking extremely worried.**

**"****Are you going to report me?" Harry asked her, grinning.**

"I think we all know that answer," Arthur grinned. If he knew the trio as well as he thought he did then there was no way that they would ever turn the others in. And sure enough…

**"****Oh — of course not — but honestly, Harry —"**

**"****Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?" said Ron, grabbing him and leading him over to their barrel. "And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven — it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick." **

"Nice change of subject, Ron," Tonks laughed.

**Ron stared broodingly into the Acid Pop box. "Reckon Fred'd take a bite of Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?"**

"Not likely," they all said.

**When Ron and Hermione had paid for all their sweets, the three of them left Honeydukes for the blizzard outside.**

**Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card; the little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow; there were holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees.**

"Beautiful," Tonks said dreamily, she missed the little village that she used to visit her with her friends and started to daydream the beautiful Christmas trees twinkling through the windows and the little lights twinkling along the street corners.

**Harry shivered; unlike the other two, he didn't have his cloak. They headed up the street, heads bowed against the wind, Ron and Hermione shouting through their scarves.**

**"****That's the post office —"**

**"****Zonko's is up there —"**

**"****We could go up to the Shrieking Shack —"**

Suddenly Mad-Eye let out a gruff laugh, "Yeah, Black. They might run into you there."

"I doubt it," Sirius said thinking it over. "I only hid there when the weather was unbearable. For the rest of the time I spent in the forest."

Tonks shook her head sympathetically. "That had to have been ruthless. Did you ever run into the centaurs or Aragog?"

"I saw the occasional centaur," he admitted. "But no, I never saw a spider. Which I am thankful for."

**"****Tell you what," said Ron, his teeth chattering, "shall we go for a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?"**

**Harry was more than willing; the wind was fierce and his hands were freezing, so they crossed the road, and in a few minutes were entering the tiny inn.**

**It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. A curvy sort of woman with a pretty face was serving a bunch of rowdy warlocks up at the bar.**

**"****That's Madam Rosmerta," said Ron. "I'll get the drinks, shall I?" he added, going slightly red.**

Sirius burst out laughing. "Ooooo, looks like someone has a little crush on Madam Rosmerta," Sirius teased, wishing that Ron was here so that he could rub it in his face. The boy could at least be a little more subtle about it.

"She's a little old for him though," Tonks laughed, "Besides, I think that he now likes someone else."

"Who?" Arthur asked in surprise as Molly smiled knowingly.

"You mean you haven't noticed it?" Tonks asked in surprise. "Wow, and you're his own father?"

He raised his eyebrows as he looked at his wife who was smiling at a happy thought. He had to be sure to ask her about this later.

**Harry and Hermione made their way to the back of the room, where there was a small, vacant table between the window and a handsome Christmas tree, which stood next to the fireplace. Ron came back five minutes later, carrying three foaming tankards of hot butterbeer.**

**"****Happy Christmas!" he said happily, raising his tankard.**

**Harry drank deeply. It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside.**

"I want some now," whined Tonks, looking around her as if she thought that some would appear. Albus smiled at her, and raised his wand, causing several bottles of Butterbeer to appear.

"YAY!" Tonks cried out, immediately taking one and gulping down a long sip. "Now I feel like I'm really at the Three Broomstick!"

They all laughed at how carefree she was taking all this as several others reached for their own bottles.

**A sudden breeze ruffled his hair. The door of the Three Broomsticks had opened again. Harry looked over the rim of his tankard and choked.**

**Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had just entered the pub with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with a portly man in a lime-green bowler hat and a pinstriped cloak — Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.**

Albus blinked in surprise. He dimly remembered that most of his teachers and the Minister had been seen there into Hogsmeade that year, but he didn't have the slightest idea that Harry seen them as well. He couldn't help but wonder what happened. Since he never heard of Harry being in Hogsmeade near Christmas, so he was sure that they didn't find him… but…

"Of all the people it had to be," Sirius said horrified. "It had to be them?!"

"He has to get out of there!" exclaimed Tonks, suddenly worried. "If they find him, he's history!"

**In an instant, Ron and Hermione had both placed hands on the top of Harry's head and forced him off his stool and under the table. Dripping with butterbeer and crouching out of sight, Harry clutched his empty tankard and watched the teachers' and Fudge's feet move toward the bar, pause, then turn and walk right toward him.**

"Oh no!" repeated Molly, starting to chew her nails.

**Somewhere above him, Hermione whispered, "Mobiliarbus!"**

**The Christmas tree beside their table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of their table, hiding them from view.**

"Good thinking, Hermione," Arthur said in relief. All Harry had to do was wait until they all left and then get back to the castle before anyone noticed he was missing.

**Staring through the dense lower branches, Harry saw four sets of chair legs move back from the table right beside theirs, then heard the grunts and sighs of the teachers and minister as they sat down.**

**Next he saw another pair of feet, wearing sparkly turquoise high heels, and heard a woman's voice.**

**"****A small gillywater —"**

**"****Mine," said Professor McGonagall's voice.**

**"****Four pints of mulled mead —"**

**"****Ta, Rosmerta," said Hagrid.**

"Of course," Remus said fondly. "Who else could it have been to order _four_ _pints_ of mead?"

"Whatever happened to_ 'I'll never drink again?'_" Sirius had to ask.

"You honestly didn't think he'd stop drinking did you?" Tonks asked him shrewdly.

"I hoped," Sirius replied. "His drinking almost got Harry and the others killed in their first year!"

**"****A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella —"**

**"****Mmm!" said Professor Flitwick, smacking his lips.**

**"****So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister."**

**"****Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear," said Fudge's voice. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us…"**

**"****Well, thank you very much, Minister."**

**Harry watched the glittering heels march away and back again. His heart was pounding uncomfortably in his throat. Why hadn't it occurred to him that this was the last weekend of term for the teachers too? **

"Yeah, he really should've thought of that," Mad-Eye said shaking his head before looking up at the teachers. "Since you all seem so surprised at this, I'm going to guess that he didn't get caught though."

"Oh, mark my words," Severus said silkily, "I'll be sure to have a word with Potter about this."

"Yeah, but remember that this all happened two years ago," Remus reminded him. "I really don't think that you should be punishing him for something this old."

Before Severus could give him a good argument, Tonks asked, "How are you going to explain how you know this? I mean, it's not like you can tell him that you found it in a book about his life are you?"

That shut them all up as they thought that over. That's right, Harry still didn't know about this. What were they going to do? Should they tell him? Or keep this quiet? They weren't sure what to think until Kingsley suggested, "I really don't think that it's fair if we keep something like this hidden from Harry. After all, we're reading his thoughts and secrets without his permission. Should we stop reading and talk to him about this?"

Personally, each of them (yes, even Snape) wanted to keep going. But they all knew that this wasn't actually right to read all about someone like this. It would be like reading someone else diary… and if Harry ever found out that they read this without his permission, there was a good chance that he would never trust them again.

"How about we just finish this chapter?" Tonks suggested after a minute of silence. "We've come this far right? We'll finish this chapter and then decide what to do later."

Because no one could think of a better idea, they all agreed. And so Kingsley kept going.

**And how long were they going to sit there? He needed time to sneak back into Honeydukes if he wanted to return to school tonight… Hermione's leg gave a nervous twitch next to him.**

**"****So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" came Madam Rosmerta's voice.**

**Harry saw the lower part of Fudge's thick body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. **

"You missed three of them sitting right behind you," Severus hissed sarcastically.

Moody glared his magical eye at the book, as if it was had made the most obvious mistake in the world. How stupid could they be? They were talking about something that was classified information in a public place?! Constant vigilance! They might've just gone out and bragged about it to every set of listening ears there was.

"That's being foolish," Kingsley said shaking his head in disappointment at Minerva. "You could've at least have gone to one of the spare rooms and talked about it. Not right in the open…?"

"More proof that Fudge too dumb to be Minister," Sirius growled. "Then again, like I said before, being dumb's not illegal, it's just frowned upon."

Minerva on the other hand had gone very white as she realized what this was about. They had been discussing Sirius Black and his connections to the Potters. And Harry Potter was there listening? Oh, no. She looked up at Sirius, terrified before she looked away before he noticed. She was in half a mind to demand that they stop reading now… but Kingsley kept going and she found herself listening in on every detail.

**Then he said in a quiet voice, "What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"**

"Why do I get the feeling I really am not going to like this chapter?" Sirius said when he noticed that Minerva was avoiding his eyes and looking sick.

"They're most likely going to be talking about you," Tonks said sadly. "But, come on. It's not like they're going to be talking about your life story right there in the Three Broomsticks right?"

'_We might've as well been,'_ Minerva thought as she felt her eyes burn slightly. Albus looked over at her and noticed just how miserable she looked. This wasn't like his Deputy Headmistress at all. His concern for her only grew when Kingsley continued, and she had gone even paler with every word his said.

**"****I did hear a rumor," admitted Madam Rosmerta.**

**"****Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" said Professor McGonagall exasperatedly.**

"Hagrid!" said Remus, while most of the others rolled their eyes, not at all surprised that he was the one who had been spreading the rumors.

"Now what are they going to say?" Sirius said in a strained voice. He was not liking where this was going.

**"****Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.**

**"****I'm sure of it," said Fudge shortly.**

**"****You know that the Dementors have searched the whole village twice?" said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. "Scared all my customers away… It's very bad for business, Minister."**

Sirius, who still had plenty of nightmares about those monsters, said grimly, "That doesn't surprise me."

**"****Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution… unfortunate, but there you are… I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore — he won't let them inside the castle grounds."**

**"****I should think not," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"**

Minerva nodded fervently with her past self. Still in complete agreement.

"You tell 'em!" cheered Tonks, and the others all agreed with this outburst, no way that they would ever let those things into the school.

**"****Hear, hear!" squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick, whose feet were dangling a foot from the ground.**

**"****All the same," demurred Fudge, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse…We all know what Black's capable of…"**

**"****Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought…I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."**

"I always did like her," Sirius grinned. Another thing to do once he got his name cleared—go and ask her out.

**"****You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."**

Everyone had frozen as Kingsley had said those last few words. They all looked up at Sirius who was staring ahead of him, but he wasn't seeing anything. They all knew what was coming… Minerva especially was grim at the idea.

**"****The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity. "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"**

Moody rolled his eyes. It was a wonder these people hadn't all been killed already. Really, was he the only person who considered the risks of the world? There were dangers lurking everywhere! They should've had enough sense not to go talking about this where anyone could hear them!

**"****I certainly do," said Fudge.**

**"****I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"**

**"****You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"**

"Prongs…" Sirius said sadly and Remus had turned to an ugly ashen color.

**"****Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here — ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"**

"Oh, no…" Molly groaned.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Sirius whispered horrified. "You mean to tell me this is how Harry found out?" He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head grimly. "I can't believe it… he found out like this?!"

"I had no idea he was there…" Minerva whispered sadly. "I didn't have the slightest clue that they were there, I remember seeing the tree but…"

"And yet, you had to go and talk about it in a public place?!" he yelled as he gripped his hair. "No wonder Harry was…" he trailed off as he remembered seeing the furious look in Harry's eyes that night in the Shrieking Shack. The look of murderous fury… now it all made sense… he found out like this… no one was there to really explain it to him…

**Harry dropped his tankard with a loud clunk. Ron kicked him.**

**"****Precisely," said Professor McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course — exceptionally bright, in fact — but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers —"**

This raised forced smiles from most of them, although in Severus' case it was more of a grimace as he thought about those two big-headed bullies that once made his life hell.

"Why didn't you all mention Remus?" Sirius asked Minerva surprised.

She was about to answer when Remus suddenly did it for her. "Because the Minister was particularly against my appointment as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he said gloomily. "Dumbledore had to work very hard to convince him that I wasn't helping you into the castle otherwise I wouldn't have been allowed to teach. If they kept talking about how we used to be friends…"

"It would've made him look suspicious and might've gotten him into trouble," Albus finished for him thoughtfully

"Well that's rubbish," Sirius growled and Tonks nodded fiercely in agreement. "Prejudice gits."

"It doesn't matter," Remus replied with a dour smile. "Honestly, I don't care. I'm used to it."

"But you shouldn't be," Tonks said to him before Sirius could. Not that he was complaining, Sirius couldn't help but smile at the red tint coloring his friend's pale features. Now, if only Remus would ask her out…

Kingsley turned the page and went on in his deep voice.

**"****I dunno," chuckled Hagrid. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money."**

**"****You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!" chimed in Professor Flitwick. "Inseparable!"**

"In all ways except in blood," Sirius said sadly. What he wouldn't have given to be born in James's family instead of the Blacks… but then again, maybe the two of them might not have become best friends… or would they have been like Fred and George? He sighed at the thoughts, wishing that he could just go back to that Halloween night and died in James place. With a great effort, he pulled himself from the past and back to hear Kingsley going on.

**"****Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry.**

Sirius' couldn't help the slight smile, which faded almost instantly as he remembered something. Back on the Knight Bus, Harry had felt that he looked familiar… but he was sure that Harry never dreamt it was _this_ familiar. Oh, he wanted to talk to him now more than ever…

**H****arry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."**

Mad-Eye snorted at that line. "Personally, I think Potter's a lot more capable of coping with tough information than those who insist on coddling him give him credit for."

Sirius didn't look up to see… he couldn't believe that this was how Harry found out about him. From under a table and eavesdropping on the teachers. He leaned forward and rested his elbow on his knees before he buried his face in his hands. He didn't want to hear anymore. But this story was like a sickness… like an addiction… he had to keep listening.

**"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.**

"NO, I WASN'T!" Sirius roared in outrage, looking up—fury in his eyes. He made to sit up but Remus seized him and pulled him back down before could do something he might regret.

"Sirius…" Tonks cried as she reached up to helped Remus to hold him back. "Sirius, we know that you're upset, but going on some tirade won't change anything. This already happened, remember? It doesn't matter anymore."

"Easy for you to say," he growled, he took several deep breaths after a minute of struggling, though rage was still in his eyes. "You're not the one who has to sit here and hear all this."

He wanted nothing more than to go into some peaceful darkness and not have to think anymore. After a few minutes of trying to calm him down, Sirius sat back and folded his arms, looking like a child in time-out.

**"****Worse even than that, m'dear…" Fudge dropped his voice and proceeded in a sort of low rumble. "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. **

**Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. **

Severus winced and his eye twitched horribly, hating himself for the part he had in Lily's death.

**He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."**

'_Would've worked if I hadn't been such an idiot,'_ Sirius thought to himself, once again fighting the tears from his biggest mistake.

**"****How does that work?" said Madam Rosmerta, breathless with interest. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.**

**"****An immensely complex spell," he said squeakily, "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find — unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"**

**"****So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.**

"No, but I should've been!" Sirius yelled out and everyone jumped, except for Remus who saw it coming.

"Sirius…" he said soothingly. "It wasn't your fault. It was Wormtail. You did what you thought would keep Lily and James alive. You couldn't care less with what happened to you as long as the Potters were safe. It was Wormtail who turned them over… you've got nothing to be ashamed of."

Sirius opened his mouth to think of a retort but Albus said, "He's right, Sirius. It wasn't your fault."

As Sirius looked at him, Albus's eyes saddened, "You did what you thought was best… it was Peter who turned around and turned it into something tragic. You have nothing to blame yourself for."

Albus nodded to Kingsley, asking to read before Sirius snapped again. Sirius glared at him, as much as he hated to admit it, there was something comforting about Dumbledore's words.

**"****Naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself… and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."**

**"****He suspected Black?" gasped Madam Rosmerta.**

"Did you really?" Sirius asked him.

Albus gave him a sad look. "I wasn't sure what to think. I heard from a very reliable source," he avoided looking at Severus as he said that, "That someone in the Order was slipping information to Voldemort. I knew that it was someone in your tight group… but I wasn't sure exactly who it was."

"But you suspected me?" Sirius asked again, wanting a straight answer.

Albus sighed again, "A part of me did, Sirius. And for that, I am truly sorry. I know that it isn't much good to you now, but I want you to know that. I can only hope that you would forgive me someday."

Sirius frowned and turned away. He might've been able to forgive Dumbledore… but after what he learned what he did to Harry… keeping him locked up in that abusive home… no, he couldn't forgive him until Albus gave him a good reason to do so.

**"****He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."**

**"****But James Potter insisted on using Black?"**

**"****He did," said Fudge heavily. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed —"**

**"****Black betrayed them?" breathed Madam Rosmerta.**

"NO!" Sirius bellowed again, only this time it was in a heartbroken sob. He put his face back in his hands and was wishing that he could just disappear. He ignored the words of comfort that the others said… as far as he was concerned, he didn't deserve it.

**"****He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it —"**

"I am not the traitor," Sirius howled, wanting to take the book and tear it in half. He didn't want to hear anymore. "I hate anything and anyone to do with the Dark Arts. Why the hell do you think I was in Gryffindor and not Slytherin?"

No one had the heart to say anything to him. All of them were stunned into silence by what they had just heard. Sirius furiously blinked the moisture away as Kingsley went on, though the man thought that he'd never had this much difficult time reading before.

**"****Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.**

**"****Shh!" said Professor McGonagall.**

**"****I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead… an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. **

"As soon as I found out that Peter was gone…" Sirius trailed off. He had to go. He had to make sure that they were still safe and alive… of course once he got there he was too late.

**Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. **

Sirius closed his eyes. Of course he was white and shaking… His best friend and his wife were dead. He was so sure that his little godson was gone as well until Hagrid told him otherwise. The thought that Harry was still alive was the only thing that kept him from giving up and dying right there just he could join them.

After several seconds' silence, they all looked at Sirius to see that he hadn't moved at all, they weren't sure if it was safe for them to keep reading, but Kingsley bravely persevered.

**An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!" Hagrid roared.**

**"****Hagrid, please!" said Professor McGonagall. "Keep your voice down!"**

**"****How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James? It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'!**

"IT WAS NOT!" Sirius shouted and actually pulling at his hair, trying to rip his skull apart; his feelings almost completely spent for the day. "YOU'RE WRONG!" Remus gripped his friend's arm—trying to stop himself from beating himself up.

**An' then he says, 'Give Harry ter me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him —' Ha! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an' uncle's.**

"I would rather you've taken him Sirius," sniffled Molly she was holding tightly onto Arthur who was looking pretty green at the moment. "You would have been much better for him."

"But I was on the run." Sirius said in a muffled voice since his face was still in his hands. "What if I had to run from the Ministry?"

"You would still be better, than those Dursleys," she hissed. "I'm sure that if you had gone straight to the Ministry and explained what happened and let them deal with Wormtail, things would've turned out very different. At least Harry would have been loved."

Sirius smiled weakly at her; slightly pleased to know she had such a good opinion of him now. Though now that he thought of it, he felt like slapping himself for being so stupid. When she puts it all together like that, it sounded so easy and simple, he couldn't believe that he didn't think of it himself.

**Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. 'I won't need it anymore,' he says.**

**"****I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? **

"I wanted Hagrid to get him away safely," Sirius murmured, unable to look up. "I gave it to him because I knew that nutjobs like Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters were still around and would've loved to have killed him."

"That must've been a hard thing for you to do, Sirius," Remus said, remembering how much Sirius loved that bike. He willingly gave up everything that night to get Harry away from those ruins. If that wasn't love or courageous, he didn't know what was.

**Why wouldn' he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potters' Secret-Keeper. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him.**

**"****But what if I'd given Harry to him, eh? I bet he'd've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes' friends' son! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to em anymore…"**

"I WOULD NEVER HURT HARRY," Sirius thundered.

"We all know that, Sirius," Tonks whispered softly, "But you don't have to keep yelling at us every time someone says it."

He glared at them all before he calmed down enough to let it go… though he highly doubted that he would be able to resist again.

**A long silence followed Hagrid's story. Then Madam Rosmerta said with some satisfaction, "But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!"**

**"****Alas, if only we had," said Fudge bitterly. "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew**

Sirius was clutching his fist and looking ready to kill someone at those words. Just that name made his blood boil. But he wasn't the only one… Remus, Minerva, and surprisingly Severus looked just as angry as he did. But he didn't have much time to brood over it as the book then said.

— **another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."**

**"****Pettigrew… that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" said Madam Rosmerta.**

**"****Hero-worshipped Black and Potter," said Professor McGonagall. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I — how I regret that now…" She sounded as though she had a sudden head cold.**

"I hope you didn't regret that for long," Sirius snarled. "He's the one who let other innocent people die to save his own skin. He didn't care how many people died so long as he got to live his own miserable life."

"I know that now, Sirius," Minerva said stiffly. "And when we do finally catch Pettigrew then I assure you that he will have to pay for what he did."

Unbeknownst to them, Mad-Eye was suddenly thinking about how strange Wormtail's real name was. _'Interesting name,' _he thought to himself. _'Petti (small) grew (got large). Gee, another growing/shrinking clue. Ironic, the rat has a name like that… if there was one thing I learned from being an Auror… there were no such things as coincidences.'_ He was suddenly even more interested in what had yet to be revealed.

**"****There, now, Minerva," said Fudge kindly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. **

"No, he turned and ran away like the cowardly little rat he was," Sirius spat. "Wormtail is a disgrace to Gryffindor! How that whimpering little worm ended up there in the first place, I'll never know."

"Yes," Minerva said coldly. "I have to ask that as well."

**Eyewitnesses — Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later — told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens…"**

"Not that I didn't try," Sirius mumbled. If only he had been a little faster with his wand, he could've killed the rat and prevented all the deaths of those poor Muggles who all had less than nothing to do with this. The only thing they did that day was get out of bed… nothing that deserved death.

**Professor McGonagall blew her nose and said thickly, "Stupid boy… foolish boy… he was always hopeless at dueling… should have left it to the Ministry…"**

**"****I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't've messed around with wands — I'd 've ripped him limb — from — limb," Hagrid growled.**

**"****You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid," said Fudge sharply. "Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. **

"Back when you actually did something useful?" Tonks said sarcastically. "Why didn't he just stay there? I think sitting behind a desk and have other people barking orders at you all day would've been a better job choice for him."

"Or better yet," Mad-Eye said, "Find something that he could actually do without making a big mess of things."

**I — I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, **

Sirius tried hard to block out those memories. He wasn't laughing out of joy or out of malice… no, when he laughed like that, it was because he was trying hard to block out his pain. To try and hide his tears of losing everything that meant the world to him.

"Why would you do that?" Arthur had to ask him. "You should have run after that."

"My best friend and his wife were both just murdered, my infant godson was taken to who knew where, I just realized that Peter was the traitor, and nothing in the world seemed to make sense to me anymore. I only laugh like that when I can't take it anymore. I just realized that my life was forever ruined."

He sighed, "I thought that once I finally got Wormtail, my name would've been cleared and I could try to pull together some kind of life… but this…"

He flung out his arm and pointed around him dramatically, "What kind of life is this? Forced to hide inside this living hell? Sure I'm still alive, but how is this living?"

He turned to Albus and demanded, "If I could just go out for an hour or two a day… just to keep me from completely losing it…"

"Sirius…" Albus said sadly. "We shall talk about this later I promise. I know that you don't want to hear this, but you must believe me when I say that I'm doing my best."

Albus also frowned, but at the book this time. It was only now that he was becoming more aware of how Sirius' 'imprisonment' in this house was affecting the man. Maybe if he did allow him out of the house for a little while just a few times a week…?

Sirius didn't believe him. Why should he? He just got up and began to pace the room, trying to look anywhere but at anyone else. Once it was clear that Sirius wasn't going to stop soon, they just decided to keep going.

**with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him… a heap of bloodstained robes and a few — a few fragments —"**

**Fudge's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of five noses being blown.**

**"****Well, there you have it, Rosmerta," said Fudge thickly. "Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, **

"Which he never deserved," Remus muttered, still not believing that he could've believed that lie over Sirius.

**which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. **

"Oh, she won't be happy to hear that he's been alive all this time and is a Death Eater. I hate to be that rat when his mother finds out that he's been hiding _as_ a rat all these years," Mad-Eye said smirking at the idea.

**Black's been in Azkaban ever since."**

**Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh.**

**"****Is it true he's mad, Minister?"**

"Yes," Severus said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No one asked you, Snape," Sirius barked at him, his back turned to them all.

**"****I wish I could say that he was," said Fudge slowly. "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. **

"He's not my master" Sirius hissed, his eyes dark. "I can't believe that anyone would believe that." He said this more to Remus than the others which made Remus look down in shame. "I mean, didn't I always made it perfectly clear at school that I hated my family, Voldemort, and his sick ideas?"

"Well, people wouldn't think about who you are as a person, Sirius," Arthur said timidly. "As soon as they see the name Black, they assume you're like all the other Blacks and didn't have to much trouble buying this story that you were the traitor. I just want to point out that you come from one of the oldest pure-blood families that definitely would support Voldemort."

Tonks looked angrily at Arthur. "Well that's just stupid. How can people be so prejudice? And people wonder why the Ministry is so unpopular these days."

"Yeah, well that's life," Sirius said bitterly, he had hoped that he had gotten away from his family, but it looks like it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Whatever it was that people think you did, we know that it's not true," Remus said, placing his hand on Sirius shoulder. "And someday, the rest of the world will know that too."

Sirius didn't answer for a moment, but then he croaked out, "Remus… I hope you're right."

**The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man — cruel… pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them… but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. **

Remus looked at him with his eyebrows raised and asked, "You? Normal?"

Sirius grinned slightly and punched his arm again, though there was no strength in him this time.

**He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored — asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. **

"You like the crossword?" Tonks asked in surprise.

Sirius shrugged. "Give me a break, there's nothing else to do in that place but the crossword."

**Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him — and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."**

'_Strange at the behavior and motivations of Fudge,'_ Mad-Eye thought bitterly. _'Everyone else (including Dumbledore) can't stand the Dementors, but Fudge is comfortable to use them. Are they a symbol of his power in office, or is there a possible sinister reason for this?'_

As he trailed off in thought, Sirius shivered violently at those terrible memories.

"Little effect?" Tonks repeated incredulously. "You look like a skeleton!"

"You aren't helping, Tonks!" Sirius snapped back as he ran his claw-like hands over his bone-thin face broodingly. It was hard to believe that he had once been so handsome.

"I… I was lucky that I still had something to hold onto," Sirius said in a strained tone. He gulped. "Just knowing that I was innocent kept me going. Helped me to keep my powers so I spent most of my time as Padfoot. The Dementors don't affect me nearly as bad when I'm a dog. So I would sleep as a dog, and able to have dreamless nights. They were what helped me get through all those years."

**"****But what do you think he's broken out to do?" said Madam Rosmerta. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"**

**"****I daresay that is his — er — eventual plan," said Fudge evasively. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing… but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again…"**

"And yet he refuses to believe that now," Molly snapped, her voice like a mousetrap. "He believed that Voldemort was alive then, why doesn't he now?"

"He's an idiot, what do you expect?" Mad-Eye answered simply.

"Devoted Servant?" Sirius echoed, grinding his teeth together. "I rather die than work for him!"

**There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass. **

**"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the Headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle," said Professor McGonagall. **

**One by one, the pairs of feet in front of Harry took the weight of their owners once more; hems of cloaks swung into sight and Madam Rosmerta's glittering heels disappeared behind the bar. The door of the Three Broomsticks opened again, there was another flurry of snow, and the teachers disappeared. **

**"Harry?" **

**Ron and Hermione's faces appeared under the table. They were both staring at him, lost for words. **

"That's the end of the chapter," said Kingsley tonelessly and finally closed the book.

There was absolute silence in the room for what felt like a lifetime—not knowing what to say after hearing all this. They all had a pretty good idea on how Ron and Hermione felt that day when they looked down at Harry. Not knowing what to say or do to help comfort him.

Suddenly, Sirius who couldn't stand it anymore, seized the book from the table and tossed it as far as he could away from him as if it was the cause of all the suffering in his life. It slammed against the wall and slid down it with a bent spine; as Sirius face was chalk white in contrast to his black hair… and a lone tear tracing its way down his cheek.


	15. Guilt and Grief

**Chapter 13: Guilt and Grief**

_*Sirius and Remus*_

Sirius couldn't believe that this was happening to him. Sirius was in his mother's room with Buckbeak lying on the floor enjoying some of the rats that he brought him; while he himself, had curled up into a ball on the bed… guilt racked every part of his body. It was never meant to be like this for him or for Harry. Sirius was never, ever, going to be able to forgive himself for this.

After they finished the last chapter—everyone else, except for Remus, left. No one else seemed to be able to find any words to say to him… not even Snape seemed to be able to find a good insult to throw as he silently left with the others. Not that Sirius paid that much attention to that anyway. There was only one thing on his mind at the moment…

It was too much… how Harry found out. It would've been one thing for someone to have told Harry about him, but to find out while he was sneaking into Hogsmeade, hiding underneath a table, and listening to all those lies about him…?

All he could think about now was what on earth he could've done to prevent all this. He hated himself even more for ever making Peter Secret-Keeper. It hurt too much… he didn't want to face it.

How Harry didn't hate him after all this, he'll never know. Harry was much more forgiving than he was… one of the many things that you couldn't help but admire about the teen.

Sirius smiled sadly as he stroked Buckbeak's feathers and shut his exhausted eyes, trying to block everything else out of his head. What was he supposed to do? The start of that chapter was so promising… Only to end on such a miserable note.

He took the book and threw it away from him as soon as he got the chance… and he just left it there on the floor until Remus finally went to go collect it. Not that he cared… just looking at it made him sick to his stomach. Just looking at that book was a living reminder of the mistakes he made—the same mistakes that were constantly thrown back in his face. His godson had lived and suffered through so much… and then to have this come out of nowhere and dropped onto him like that!?

He wished that more than ever he could see Harry. He wanted to talk to him, to apologize for ever being such an idiot.

But what could he do trapped inside this house?

Was this his punishment for trusting Peter? To be trapped in a house that he hated with every fiber of his being and slowly lose his mind while he wallowed in his memories? Never to see sunlight or breath fresh air again? To never make up for all his mistakes? Never make the Ministry pay for what they did to him?

Sighing, he rolled over onto his side and gazed out at the dirty window. It was starting to rain again… he stared at the falling droplets in an almost trance-like state—still not having the slightest clue to what to do. Another thing he missed about the outside was the rain…

Once he was sentenced to Azkaban, he would spend most of his time staring out his window at the sky, longing to fly away from those frozen bars. To feel the sun and the rain on his face…

This house really was no different than Azkaban.

Well no… not completely… there was one good thing about being here… Not that he wanted to see him right now but…

"Sirius?" called a timid voice at the door that belonged to the very person he had just been thinking about. "Sirius? Are you in there?"

Sirius ignored Remus's voice. As much as he was glad to have his friend's company, he didn't want to talk to anyone other than Harry right now… he just wanted to be alone and fall back into his depression. After a few minutes of knocking and Sirius refusing to answer, Remus must've given up. Sirius didn't move a muscle as he listened to the sounds of his footsteps walking away and down the stairs.

He rolled back onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He was in half a mind to write to Harry and tell him how sorry he was… but then he remembered that Dumbledore told him that Umbridge was checking the mail, so Sirius doubted that his letter would even get through without getting Harry in trouble. Besides how was he supposed to apologize for ruin someone's life in just one letter?

He would just have to wait until the next time he saw him. He gritted his teeth in bitterness—if there were two things he hated in life, it was waiting and being rushed. And what do you know? That's all he's been doing for fourteen years!

He closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to figure out what to do. He knew that he couldn't avoid Remus forever, and he also knew that the werewolf would want to talk about this sooner or later. He moaned as he felt himself drift off to sleep. He could only hope that it would be _much later_ before Remus felt the need to talk to him.

He fell into dark dreams of 12-foot trolls, Dementors, the Whomping Willow, polyjuice potion, and of dark chambers… needless to say, he didn't get much sleep that night.

_*The next day*_

"Sirius? You really don't look well," Remus stated when Sirius had finally dragged himself out of bed and into the kitchen.

It was true; it wasn't until long after the sun had risen that Sirius finally nodded off. But even then it was still well-passed noon before he decided to just give up on sleep and came down. Exhaling heavily, Sirius looked for a bottle of Firewhiskey in the cupboard before he joined Remus at the table. He felt completely drained and all he had done was read half a book.

He dimly thought of the Muggle saying _'careful what you wish for'_… only now was Sirius really appreciating that saying.

He ran a weary hand through his hair. Reading those damn books had seemed like a good idea at first, but now he felt as though he had aged several hundred years since they started on book one. Not even Azkaban had managed to make him this miserable.

He thought back to his own rotten childhood. He had always vowed to himself that if he ever had kids, he would never treat them the way his parents had done to him. And when Harry was born… he didn't think that their lives could get any happier… at least until their lives were all ruined because of one power-hungry, evil, murderous devil. Within a year everything had changed, and he lost everything. His best friends… his godson… his home… his good looks… even his freedom were all taken away from him.

He was out of Azkaban now. He may not be declared innocent just yet but as long as the people he loved most knew of his innocence then he could bear any shame… he could bear it proudly. It had nearly killed him when Harry had thought that he was a murderer… but now… he didn't want to hear what Harry thought of him anymore. Not after this.

If Harry's thoughts were hard to hear before, then he was sure that they were going to be a 1000 times worse. These books had seemed like a good idea to him at first. He wanted to know all about Harry's life so that he could try to make up for the twelve years of lost time and happy memories. But finally hearing what a mere child had to go through was too much for him. Ironic… he had lived years of misery with his own family, spent more than half his time at school doing back-breaking detentions, fought through a war, survived twelve years in prison surrounded by Dementors, and been on the run for nearly three years… and yet, it was listening to the suffering that his godson had to go through that broke him.

He never thought that he could love someone like this… but Harry had affected his heart so much. Sirius loved Harry like his own son. But to hear all this… it broke his heart.

While at the same time, his insides burned with anger as he thought of Dumbledore. That stupid old man was going to pay for this. How dare he keep Harry in a loveless and abusive house like that? Wasn't _he_ the one who was always going on and on about _'there's no greater power than love?'_ speech every chance he got?

Dumbledore ought to count himself lucky that Harry had turned out as good as he is considering everything that he went though. It was a miracle that the boy was so understanding and compassionate… how that was possible, he had no idea. Putting Harry with the Dursley's was something that could have easily backfired and turned him into a bitter and loveless person like Voldemort. He shuddered at the idea.

Why didn't Dumbledore ever at least think to check up on him? Make sure that he was safe and happy? He couldn't believe the same man that used to let him get away with countless pranks, had created this upbringing for a child. If Dumbledore did care about Harry at all then why would he just sit back and do nothing while this abuse was going on?

One thing was for sure, Harry would _not_ be going back there, even if Sirius had to personally see to his old Headmaster. He was going to make sure that he wasn't going to set foot back into number four.

Sirius put down his bottle and laid his head down onto his folded arms. If he had to be honest with himself though, he had to admit that he didn't have the slightest idea how to take care of a teenager. It was times like these that Sirius missed James and Lily the most. Just being godfather was easy… all he had to do was throw in his advice and dump the final decision on the parents. Why they decide to make him Harry's godfather was something beyond him… even _he_ had to acknowledge that Moony would've done a better job despite his 'furry little problem.'

_Merlin beard, I'm worrying more than Molly does…_ Sirius snorted to himself. He truly was turning into a premature grey-haired parent. Now he knew how Molly Weasley felt whenever something happened to one of her children and wasn't there to help. How he missed the good old days when he didn't have those kinds of worries or responsibilities… how did it ever get so messed up?

How could he ever forgive himself for ruining everything? He ignored Remus as they sat like that at the kitchen table, both trying hard to avoid each other's gaze.

_*Remus's Pov*_

Remus had also been up for most part of the night. He wanted to talk to Sirius about what they read, but Sirius refused to answer him when he tried to talk last night. He would've tried harder, but the smartest half of his brain told him that trying to reason with Sirius now wasn't the best idea. And so he wandered down to the kitchen to maybe find himself something to calm him down, but instead he found himself reading the first couple books again.

Remus looked at his friend's miserable face again and knew that he had to say something. "Sirius… there's nothing we can do about it," he whispered as he shut the Chamber of Secrets book that he had currently been reading. It was a sign of how far gone his friend was in his thoughts when he didn't even acknowledge his words. Mustering his own courage, Remus reached over and gently placed a reassuring hand on Sirius's shoulder.

"Sirius…" he tried again, but Sirius answered him before he could finish his sentence.

"I already know what you're going to say, Remus." His voice was only a faint whisper, and his hoarse voice cracked slightly at the end, telling Remus that he was close to crying. When Sirius looked up, and if you looked close enough, you could even see the tears threatening to form. Sirius hardly ever cried… so this convinced him how upset he was more than anything else could.

Remus sighed heavily, and put the book down on the table in front of them. They stared at it quietly for a moment, before Sirius finally turned his gaze back to his friend and admitted in barely more than a sigh, "I don't know what to do, Remus."

Remus frowned, looking intently at Sirius's haunted eyes… and they scared him. He never looked less like the prisoner of Azkaban and more like a frightened man. A man who didn't know what to do or who to turn to… someone who had lost all hope.

"Harry is safe Sirius," Remus said half-heartedly. "All of this has already happened remember?"

_*Sirius's Pov*_

"I know he's safe now," Sirius frowned thoughtfully. "But what about back then? He needed someone there to keep him safe, to comfort him and let him know that there were people who cared about him. But no…" He stood up and began to pace the room.

"No one was there to help him. And I know that this already happened, but it's just that… I'm scared to think of what's going to happen later when he thinks it over." Remus was quiet for a while, gazing at Sirius pacing up and down the long kitchen.

"Sirius… I know that you're worried but I need you to tell me exactly what's going on in your head to…" Remus pried gently, but Sirius was talking again.

"I don't know! That's the whole problem!" Sirius finally called out. "Right now I want to go straight up to that school and drag Harry back here and never let him out of my sight again. But I can't do that can I? You want to know why I'm so scared? I'm scared of what we're going to hear when he finally gets time to think this over—of what I'm going to hear! And don't look at me like that!" he added when he saw Remus's open his mouth to say something.

"You know that he's going to be thinking about all this later on in the story. What would you do if you thought that your parent's best friend betrayed them? How would you react if you heard all that? I can't imagine leaving him alone ever again, and I hate myself for even wanting to go after Wormtail when I knew that I had to give up Harry for even a second! I should've stayed back and argued with Hagrid to hand him over to me and refused to take no for an answer. I would've gone to Dumbledore and told him what really happened! But now look at what my stupidity did! It ruined not only my life but yours and Harry's as well! And now that we have another war on our hands…"

Sirius laughed harshly, but sounded more like a sob than anything else. "I mean, there's no guarantee that I'm going to make it out of this war alive! What if I get killed? Harry would be devastated! Don't know why he would. I mean, I know that he cares about me, and I love him like he was my own son, but I'm a wanted man Remus, how can I ever be there for him without putting him in danger? He needs safety and a family that's actually there for and I'm on the run from the Ministry! I can't even be with him for long periods of time before we have to say goodbye! Those Muggles are going to pay for what they did, you mark my words, but I can't stand the thought of Harry being sent back there! Dumbledore won't listen and will send Harry back there as soon as the school year ends and…" Remus finally stood up and put his hands on his shoulders to force him to look him in the eye and stop talking.

"Sirius, listen to yourself! Harry does _want _to be withyou and he doesn't blame you at all…" he began.

"Did you not listen to the book yesterday?!" Sirius barked back.

"That was before he found out who you were, Sirius," Remus said firmly. "That was before he learned who it really was to blame. Padfoot, you are the closest thing he has to a father figure. I know that you've made some mistakes, but you can't look back on them and regret over every single one of them. Keep doing that and you're never going to move on. We are not letting Harry go back there to that house, I know that you would rather have your arm cut off than let that happen."

"But what's going to happen?" Sirius demanded harshly. If his godson could survive an encounter with Voldemort at the mere age of eleven and again with a Basilisk fighting his battles for him then he was sure that Harry was capable of doing anything. Though that didn't mean that he wished that he had to. Just thinking about Harry facing a Basilisk and Dementors caused him to feel sick. More than anything else, Sirius wanted to hear from Dumbledore the danger his godson had been placed in… but the old man refused to say a word.

A low, furious growl sounded deep from within Sirius's chest and his hands clenched into tight fists as he fought the urge to break something. When the Headmaster shied away from giving him answers, it infuriated him.

Remus pulled him into a hug. "We'll figure out what to do…" he whispered. "We don't know what to do now, but we will. We just have to wait until we see Harry again and decide what to do then. Until that time comes, all we can do is hope that things will turn out for the best. But I just want you to know that Harry doesn't blame you. If you still doubt it, remember what he did two years ago when he helped you escape with Buckbeak?"

Sirius froze at the memory as a smile began to form. He could never forget that day. He thought that he was finished for sure that day. That they were going to call a Dementor and he would never see Harry or Remus again… to lose his soul to those creatures…

And just when he had given up all hope… there Harry and Hermione were at the window with Buckbeak.

That was definitely proof that Harry did care about him… but his smile soon faded. He buried his face into Remus's shoulder and fought the tears. Even back then, Harry was able to protect him more than Sirius ever could. He hugged Remus like he did that night in the Shrieking Shack, making a silent promise to Harry. No matter what happens… he promised to return the favor.

_*Albus and Severus*_

"Severus…" Albus said sitting at his desk with Severus pacing the office floor. They got back just in time for dinner the night before, and with Umbridge looking suspicious, they didn't have a time to talk until Dumbledore summoned the Potions Master to his office in a way that he knew that he would never be able to get out of this.

"I don't want to hear anything you've got say about this, Dumbledore!" Severus snapped at him coldly.

"Severus, you can't keep going on like this…" Albus said just as frostily. "You can't continue to blame everything on Harry and the other students."

Severus didn't say anything to that, he just turned with a sweep of his robes and headed towards the door. "There's nothing to talk about!" he yelled back just as his hand reached the doorknob. Albus felt a pang of sadness ach through him at seeing Severus like this. He cared about each and every one of his students… former and current. To see any of them suffer like this was torture to him.

"I'm not sure if you know this," Albus called to him just as Severus had turned the handle. "But Harry didn't kill Lily… Voldemort did."

"Who asked you?!" Severus snarled at him, spinning around to glare at him.

"It is the truth, Severus," Albus said calmly. "I know that you've been blaming Harry for Lily's death for a long time. But Harry was still just an infant that night. How could he possibly be the one to blame for Voldemort…?"

"If the Dark Lord never targeted Potter than he never would've come after Lily!" he yelled at him, his heart aching at the idea. That boy was the living reminder of what he could've had! Everything that he wanted—James Potter took from him! Just thinking about it made him angry, and he was about to yell out what he really thought about the son of James Potter when Dumbledore said something to make him stop death in his tracks.

"Yes," Albus said calmly. "And if it wasn't for Harry, she probably would've been killed much sooner."

Severus stared at him. "What are you talking…?"

Albus let out a sad sigh. "Severus… as you already know, before Harry was even born Voldemort had already placed a price on James and Lily's heads. It didn't matter how talented she was, once Voldemort found out that Lily was a Muggle-born, he considered her life insignificant. James on the other hand, he was a pureblood and powerfully magical… everything Voldemort had thought to be worth being.

James was brave, and talented; Voldemort knew that he would have made an excellent addition to the Death Eaters. But James being who he was, he declined his offer to join him. From that moment onwards Voldemort decided that they didn't deserve to live when they chose to stand against him. And once he heard that they had gone into hiding because Harry was born in order to keep him safe… Voldemort believed that Harry was the child the prophecy spoke about. So you see, if Harry hadn't been born James and Lily wouldn't have gone into hiding so soon and given Voldemort the chance to kill them. And a part of both of them wouldn't be living on in their son_._ If anything, Harry kept them alive longer, and filled their days with joy and love for the remainder of their lifetimes."

Severus glared at him and turned to walk away.

"Lily was a gifted witch, a beautiful human inside and out," added Albus when he stared at Severus's rigid figure. "She was the most compassionate person you'd ever hope to find… which she passed onto her son."

'_Lily…'_ Severus thought to himself. The image of her beautiful face swam before him and he shut his eyes tightly, trying to force it out of his mind.

"I still don't understand why cannot even _try_ to see that Harry isn't James," Albus said sadly.

Snape frowned. "That boy… he is too… a determine trouble-maker… but he does not see it that way… he is so much like his father."

"That's not helping, Severus…"

"But it is true!" Snape insisted. His normally-pale face was flushed with anger. "I've been trying to tell you Dumbledore, that he embodies the worst traits of James Potter! Believe me, I've seen that darker side of James Potter than you have having been the unwilling victim of Potter's arrogance and bullying for years! Everything that he passed on to his brat of a chil…"

"Severus, that is enough!" Albus cut off loudly and slamming his hands down on his desk as he stood up. Snape, startled in surprise at the sudden hostility that the Headmaster showed, but didn't back down. He stopped his own rant and stood, facing Dumbledore, as stiff as a board as he spoke. "You only see James because you're determined to see him. Severus, listen to me. If Harry did not look like James… if he looked more like his mother, with red hair, and without glasses, would you still hate him like this?"

"That's not…" Severus paused, frowning slight. "It's not his appearance that I hate, it's…"

"Isn't it?" Albus asked.

"I… I don't…"

"You had me fooled, then," was Albus said before he sighed. He knew that Lily wouldn't have wanted to go any other way than to protect her son. He knew her love for Harry went deeper than anything. If she was given the choice she would gladly lay down her life a hundred times over if it meant protecting him.

"I'm sure that Lily would've been happy to know that you are protecting her son for her," he said softly as he walked to the window to stare out onto the grounds. "But I do wonder what she would say if she knew that you were treating him this way."

"Lily Evans is dead!" Severus yelled out those words as if they had physically hurt him.

"No, she's not," Albus said sadly. "She's still here… watching over, not only Harry but you as well. You knew her better than I did, Severus. If she was still here, how do you think she would react to how you've been treating her son?"

Severus glared at him again. "Doesn't matter…"

"Oh, I think that it does matter to you Severus," Albus answered back.

Snape twitched slightly. He had always respected Albus Dumbledore but sometimes he really hated him… hated to have to listen to those truths with that calm voice.

"Severus, I know that I cannot force you to treat Harry better. But after everything we've learned about the boy… do you honestly still believe that he is the same attention-seeking, arrogant, spoiled, lazy and weak boy you were determine to see him as? Harry is something special, even if you don't see that, it is the truth, Severus."

Snape scowled at the floor wishing that he would just leave already.

"But I cannot understand why you treat the rest of your students the way you do, Severus? Treating everyone who isn't in Slytherin like they don't even belong here when they do. Pomona has told me how impressed she is with Neville Longbottom and how he may soon surpass even her at Herbology. If you think about it, he should be able to perform much better in your class if you worked with him and didn't spend all your time threatening to poison his pet."

"I wasn't actually going to poison his toad!" Severus snapped back. "I only said it to scare him…"

"And that is your problem, Severus," Albus interrupted again. "Do you really think that you can scare them into doing what you want? The reason he does so poorly is because he is terrified of you. And you wonder why his boggart is your form?"

Severus opened his mouth to justify himself, but Albus went on.

"And what of Miss Granger?" Albus asked him sadly. "Severus did you really have to resort to name-calling like a child? It is our job as teachers to encourage students to want to learn and to reward them for getting it right, not to punish them for knowing the right answers."

"If you expect me to reward Granger every time she gets a right answer, then you have lost your mind," Severus said.

"Severus. I wish to help you, but unless you learn to let go of this bitterness and learn to forgive and move on…"

Severus turned away and swung the door wide open. "I don't want to hear anymore of this, Dumbledore."

Albus sighed again, knowing that Snape wouldn't listen anymore. "Very well. We will take some time off from reading," Albus called after him. "If you do not wish to come anymore I will, of course, understand. But if you wish to hear more, you are more than welcomed. I'll let you know when we will gather again and meet."

Albus shook his head and said in a calmer voice just when the back of Severus's cloak had vanished passed the door, "Also, I do not want to hear you call Harry a _brat_ again. Have you never thought that perhaps your treatment of him might, in reality, be the reason he cannot learn Occlumency?"

"Perhaps," said Severus's voice floating back to him. "And perhaps I am not the proper teacher for Potter. Please, by all means, find someone else who can get through Potter's thick skull. I would be quite grateful if you did."

Outside the door, Severus had just the slightest smirk on his face—wanting to taste just one small victory. He knew that Dumbledore couldn't find another teacher for Potter… he just wanted to hear Dumbledore admit that he was wrong for a change…

But surprisingly, at those words Albus actually burst out laughing, which caused Severus to turn around and stare at the old man who was still gazing out the window at empty grounds. "You could give others lessons in arrogance, Severus. And you think that it is Harry who has that problem?" He chuckled, shaking his head. At this, Severus looked furious once again, and he quickly left—almost running down the spiral staircase.

Once he was gone, Albus had to ask, though Severus Snape was no longer in the room: "Severus… How can you judge someone else, Severus…? When you know that you're the same? We all have dark secrets…"

The images of his parents, his brother and sister… and of Grindlewald came into his mind at those words. Albus covered his eyes with one hand, trying hard not to remember about those faces and to fight the tears that always began to form whenever he did think of them. "Secrets we rather forget."

**Sorry for taking so long, but it was a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. Next chapter… we either have the fight between Dumbledore and Sirius like I promised, or we will just move back onto reading the book. Either way, I'm hoping that you will enjoy it. And as for those you who answered whether or not to bring Harry in to finish reading with them? NO, I am not going to do it so you can all relax. For those few who did want Harry to make an appearance? Don't worry, I have some good ideas to make up for it. Until then…**


	16. The Firebolt

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the next one will be going up as soon as I can finish it. I also hope that you all like the baby name that I finally picked out for Harry. I find it to be a very possible nickname if I do say so myself. Also, remember when I did the Polyjuice Potion challenge in the last book? I'm going to be putting up another challenge at the end of the NEXT chapter. Until then…**

**Chapter 14: The Firebolt**

Another week had passed since they all gathered to read. They all went on with their lives trying to deal with the endless hours of everyday life. But once the weekend came, Dumbledore decided to try and get further in the book… and so he sent messages to everyone else. To be honest, no one seemed too eager to read—especially Severus who had decided not to bother to come and read this time.

No one seemed to discouraged that he decided to remain at the castle though. Albus privately thought that Severus and Sirius shouldn't be in the same room together unless they had no other choice and that a longer break from each other would do them both some good. And so, everyone minus Severus, all returned on Saturday to see how this little adventure continues.

Sirius and Remus greeted them all at the front door—none of them seemed to be in much of a talkative mood as they all silently climbed the stairs to the drawing room and to their usual seats. Once they all gathered together, Sirius and Remus came in, Remus carrying the slightly bent book, while at the same time throwing a nervous look over at Sirius, who was looking depressed. They both had another row just earlier that week, and ever since then, Sirius had become like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any second.

_*Flashback*_

_Both of them were in hallway, with Remus trying to talk Sirius out of drinking again, though Sirius was once again lost in his thoughts and wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to Remus's words. He was too busy thinking how Harry had been forced to hear his parent's last moments. Harry shouldn't__be able to remember his parents murderer or their voices as he stole away their life. Harry being able to remember the green light was bad enough but hearing Lily and James's last words… it was too much. All of Sirius's suffering seemed to pale in comparison when he thought how much pain Harry must've been once he realized who's voices they were. _

_He gritted his teeth… even though he wasn't the one who raised the wand or uttered the spell; he as good as killed them. If he had just stayed as the Secret-Keeper then Harry would still have his parents and he would still have his family._

_He suddenly felt Remus pull him back and put his hands on his shoulders. "I don't know what to do, Remus," he croaked out in a dead and defeated voice._

"_Yes, you do, Padfoot," he heard Remus's voice as if from far away. "You need to snap out of this depression. We need you to be here. Be there for Harry. Especially now that Voldemort's back… he needs us now more than ever."_

_"He needed us then, too!" hissed Sirius back as he turned away, jerking away from him, "Get off me."_

"_Sirius, you can't keep sulking like this," Remus said sadly as Sirius moved to the stairs. "You can't get like this every time that James and Lily's names are mentioned. You have to keep moving forward."_

_Sirius didn't even bother to look at him as he said, "I messed up big time, Remus."_

"_I know," Remus said unhappily as he gently led him back downstairs. "But that's in the past and we can't change it, no matter how much we want to. We're here now and that's what matters. We can't keep doing this to ourselves. We both know by now that Lily and James are going to be mentioned often. We can't keep cowering and wallowing in our own pity every time we hear about them. If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for Harry."_

"_And what if that gets people around you involved?" Sirius asked him quietly as he looked up at him with a kind of desperation in his eyes. "What are you supposed to do when your actions end up ruining someone's live? What if someone dies? What are you supposed to do then, Remus?"_

"_I…" Remus croaked, not knowing what to say to that._

"_How do you pay for what you've done?" Sirius yelled. "I can't, all right? There is nothing that can make something like that right again. When someone's dead, when someone's gone, words are useless."_

"_So that's it?" Remus asked him sternly. "You just want to run away?"_

"_I know!" Sirius yelled, thundering his fist against the wall. "I'm pathetic! But I don't know how to fix it! Where do you start? What do you say?"_

"_Sirius!" Remus shouted, finally slapping his friend hard across the face to wake him up. Sirius finally stopped his rant and stared at him in amazement. He knew better than anyone that Remus was a master duelist… but he never once resorted to violence like that. Remus was breathing hard as they stared at each other. _

_Remus had just realized what he did and stared at his hand, and then up to the side of Sirius's pale face which clearly showed the red outline of a human hand. Sirius put his own hand there and pressed against the searing pain as Remus backed away as if he had just done something horrible. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I don't know how I can answer you. All I know for sure is that you have to keep going, Sirius. Keep fighting and surviving until you find the answers you need."_

_Sirius lowered his hand and said softly, "But there are no answers, Remus. Don't you see I'm running from what I deserve!?"_

"_Well, why don't you tell me what you deserve," he asked quietly._

"_The same fate," was all he could say as he turned and started to walk up the stairs to be with Buckbeak._

"_Padfoot…" Remus called after him. But when Sirius showed no signs of listening, Remus asked in an emotionless voice, "Sirius… just tell me one thing. What if it was the other way around? What if it was __**you**__ who died that night? What if somehow James survived? Would you…" But before he could finish his sentence, Sirius interrupted. _

"_If he was still alive," Sirius said grimly, "Then Harry would have his father… he wouldn't have suffered all alone for all those years."_

"_Yes, but tell me," Remus said patiently, "What if James blamed himself for your death? Would you want him to keep beating himself up and mentally torturing himself?"_

"_NO!" Sirius said loudly, finally looking at him. "I could never blame him. Even if he was the one who said the spell that killed me, I could never hate him. Not after everything he'd done for me. I would want him to keep living… for his son's sake if nothing else… I want him to keep living…" he suddenly stopped as he realized to what Remus was trying to say._

"_Exactly," Remus said gently with a shadow of his smile. "James wouldn't blame you and neither does Harry. You knew James better than anyone… you two were best friends. Whenever you started a sentence, he finished it. When you had a thought, he said it for you. You know that he would never blame you and wouldn't want you beating yourself up after all these years. For Harry's sake if nothing else… you have to learn to move on and forgive yourself. You have to keep fighting."_

_Silence fell on them both. "You don't deserve this suffering, Sirius… I want you to know that. You have to learn to keep going. If Harry can do it, so can you."_

_*End of Flashback*_

Remus kept Sirius's in his sights the whole time as he heard Molly ask, "So, Severus isn't going to join us today?"

"No," Albus said graciously. "I think that he wants a break from dealing with all of us today.

"Good riddance if you ask me," Sirius said in a calm tone. Remus glance over at him, relieved that he seemed to be acting like his usual self again. He could only hope that his friend would at least start to forgive himself… he knew that it was too much to hope for that Sirius had completely put his past behind, but it would be a start.

"So who's reading next?" Tonks asked brightly, with her hair a cheerful aqua blue today.

"I will," Arthur replied, and Remus was only too happy to hand it over. He casually turned to the next chapter and his whole face lit up as he silently read the title.

"What is it?" Molly asked, tilting her head to the side, and Arthur smiled as he read it out, "**Chapter 11: The Firebolt.**" And right below the title was the picture of the beautiful broom floating above the Christmas wrappings.

For the first time all week, Sirius looked up with a little smile on his face. Oh, he was looking forward to hearing Harry's reaction to the Firebolt. Everyone gave him a beaming look, glad to see the happiness shining in his eyes and Arthur started off:

**Harry didn't have a very clear idea of how he had managed to get back into the Honeydukes cellar, through the tunnel, and into the castle once more. All he knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and that he hardly noticed what he was doing, because his head was still pounding with the conversation he had just heard.**

"That's one conversation I wish he didn't hear," Sirius said sadly, his smile already faded.

**Why had nobody ever told him? **

"Over protectiveness," Mad-Eye grunted, his magical eye on Dumbledore, who turned away from him.

**Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, Cornelius Fudge… why hadn't anyone ever mentioned the fact that Harry's parents had died because their best friend had betrayed them?**

Sirius flinched slightly at the reminder, his fist clenching slightly. "I didn't, Harry," Sirius muttered and dreaded the thought that he was going to be hearing more awful things about him from his godson's mind. He couldn't even begin to imagine how his godson must've felt about all this. How it would've seriously messed you up big time. There was no way that you could come out of this unscarred even if it was a lie.

How could you bear the idea that your best friend's son completely hated you because he knew you were responsible for his parents' death? He put a shaking hand up to hide his eyes, hiding his shame from the rest of them.

"Now he feels like we all betrayed him when all we wanted to do was protect him," Molly said sadly. "If he knew about this, then he would've had that hanging over his head all that year."

"Which means he's going to be brooding over all this now isn't he?" Sirius asked, still not looking at them.

"Most likely," Mad-Eye replied. "And it probably would've been better if someone just came out and told him the truth inside of spoon feeding him all this vague junk," he added sharply to Dumbledore.

Albus looked down sadly, unable to face his old friend right now. The reason he never told Harry—and he knew why no one else didn't was for the same reason—was because he couldn't bear to see the look of devastation in his face. He sighed—really, all he wanted was to protect the boy from more pain than was necessary, and he wondered how he hadn't seen before now that they just made it even harder. He did not want to tell Harry about the prophecy but if it had to be done… would he have the will to go through with it?

**Ron and Hermione watched Harry nervously all through dinner, not daring to talk about what they'd overheard, because Percy was sitting close by them. When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits. **

They all rolled their eyes. It was just what Fred and George would do—they were all suddenly glad that the twins were in this story… glad to hear some light-hearted scenes from the usual dark tone.

**Harry, who didn't want Fred and George asking him whether he'd reached Hogsmeade or not, sneaked quietly up to the empty dormitory and headed straight for his bedside cabinet. He pushed his books aside and quickly found what he was looking for — the leather-bound photo album Hagrid had given him two years ago, which was full of wizard pictures of his mother and father. He sat down on his bed, drew the hangings around him, and started turning the pages, searching, until…**

Sirius looked up, his eyed red, and he shook his head hopelessly, "I see," he sighed. "Yes, I'd be in there…"

**He stopped on a picture of his parents' wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, **

Sirius suddenly turned to Remus. "Are you sure Lily wasn't adopted? There is no way that she could ever be related to that horse."

"I'm sure." Remus smiled, weakly. "Petunia is…" he faltered, not knowing a word to describe her. Instead he gestured to Arthur to continue.

**alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. **

Fond smiles made their way onto the two remaining Marauders faces. _James. _Sirius smiled sadly as he remembered that day. He had never seen James freak out until that day—really, the way that he kept going over his vows and dropping things was hilarious. But once they took their vows… James had never looked happier. And Lily… she had looked so beautiful…

They couldn't remember ever seeing James or Lily happier… that is until Harry was born of course, and… Sirius suddenly looked up at that… an old memory had just come back to him. "Sun and Stars…" he whispered.

"What was that?" Molly asked him confused.

"I just remembered…" Sirius said quietly. "You know when I told you that little name that Lily used to call Harry sometime? That little baby name that I couldn't remember?"

"Ohh," Tonks said eagerly leaning forward. "You remembered what it was?"

Sirius nodded with a slight smile on his face. "It just came back to me. She used to call him… her little Sun and Stars."

"Her little Sun and Stars?" Tonks repeated in surprise.

"Yeah," Sirius said sadly. "He was born during the first war remember? She called him that because when he was born, Harry became something like the very center of Lily's universe. Her little ray of light and hope in such dark times she once told me."

"Awww," Molly and Tonks both cooed—and even Minerva had to fight hard to conceal a smile.

"I think Harry might want to hear that as well," Remus said softly, knowing how little Harry knew about his parents.

"Might embarrass the kid," Mad-Eye pointed out.

"Either way," Sirius grinned. "I'm going to tell him the next time I see him." Just one of the many things he would be sure to explain… just to remind Harry just how much his parents loved him… Lily's little Sun and Stars… a ray of light in the dark…

He thought of all his two dead friends… he was going to make damn sure that their son wasn't going to join them anytime soon. Losing Lily and James had been like tearing his heart out but losing Harry… there would be no point in living if he were gone. He now understood what Lily meant when she started calling Harry her light.

**And there… that must be him. Their best man… Harry had never given him a thought before.**

Sirius sighed miserably at the reminder that Harry never knew who he was until that moment.

"Nobody had ever told him about you before," Tonks muttered sadly.

"Nope," was Sirius's simple, yet bitter answer. "Of course not. Why would they want to tell him about a killer?"

**If he hadn't known it was the same person, he would never have guessed it was Black in this old photograph. **

"That's what Azkaban does to you," Sirius growled, running his wasted hand over his once handsome face. What he wouldn't give to have his old good looks back.

**His face wasn't sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. Had he already been working for Voldemort when this picture had been taken? **

"No!" Sirius snarled. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt them.

**Was he already planning the deaths of the two people next to him? Did he realize he was facing twelve years in Azkaban, twelve years that would make him unrecognizable?**

Shivers went up Sirius's spine at those words. In fact, everyone had shivers at that idea. Everyone was feeling their hearts freeze at the dark direction Harry's thoughts had taken. Rather than dwell on it, Arthur swallowed and continued reading, though his voice sounding somehow hoarse.

_**But the Dementors don't affect him**_**,**** Harry thought, staring into the handsome, laughing face.**

"Believe me, Harry. Yes, they do," muttered Sirius, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes the only sign of how much pain he was in.

_**He doesn't have to hear my Mum screaming if they get too close —**_

Molly sobbed slightly, "The poor boy… why can't he ever come right out and tell others what's bothering him?"

"Force of habit?" Mad-Eye suggested, thinking of all those years of keeping things quiet and dealing with it on his own. Honestly, what did these people expect? After growing up like that, he was forced to deal with his problems on his own. Didn't matter how terrible the boy felt—he had no choice be to suck it up and move on. He had to admire that…

**Harry slammed the album shut, reached over and stuffed it back into his cabinet, took off his robe and glasses and got into bed, making sure the hangings were hiding him from view.**

**The dormitory door opened.**

**"****Harry?" said Ron's voice uncertainly.**

**But Harry lay still, pretending to be asleep. He heard Ron leave again, and rolled over on his back, his eyes wide open.**

"Oh, Harry… please, don't think about it," pleaded Molly. "Please, just go and talk to Ron and Hermione—anyone for that matter—about this. I'm sure that it would help."

Albus frowned as he listened to this. On the one hand, he was glad that the trio knew each other so well that they knew when the others needed space and not to press the matter… but he didn't like the way that Harry was left to think all this over on his own… not when they were things like this.

**A hatred such as he had never known before was coursing through Harry like poison. **

Sirius's face fell. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to hate him. He was the last piece of Lily and James he had… it was like losing James again. But he understood… he understood all those feelings of rage… lusting for revenge. Wanting someone to suffer the way that you've been forced to suffer…

And look where it got him. Twelve years of prison and three years on the run only to slowly lose his mind trapped in this house. It was too late for him but Harry still had a chance.

"No, Harry… please," he begged. "Please, don't think of revenge… it'll ruin your life…"

"Sirius…?" Remus croaked at him.

"It's nothing," he then said looking away from them all. "Forget I said anything."

**He could see Black laughing at him through the darkness, as though somebody had pasted the picture from the album over his eyes. He watched, as though somebody was playing him a piece of film, Sirius Black blasting Peter Pettigrew (who resembled Neville Longbottom)**

"Neville Longbottom is nothing like that rat," Minerva interrupted sharply.

"Though standing up to his friends, for his friends sake like Wormtail supposing did does sound like something that Neville would do," Remus said thinking that over.

**into a thousand pieces. He could hear (though having no idea what Black's voice might sound like) a low, excited mutter. "It has happened, My Lord… the Potters have made me their Secret-Keeper" and then came another voice, laughing shrilly, the same laugh that Harry heard inside his head whenever the Dementors drew near…**

Sirius's expression changed then into one of disgust and anger, as thought that book started saying something very rude to him. Those words had hurt him, and he blinked furiously to hold back the tears which sprang to his eyes. He was willing to bet that's exactly how Wormtail sounded that day. The day that he decided to turn against them all just to save his own worthless neck.

Several of the others could not restrain themselves nearly as well. The twinkle behind Albus's eyes had disappeared, Minerva and Molly had tears falling down their faces, and Remus reached out to take Tonks's hand comfortingly—for him that is.

**"****Harry, you — you look terrible."**

**Harry hadn't gotten to sleep until daybreak. **

"Oh, the poor boy," Molly repeated. "This isn't healthy. He's going to make himself sick if he keeps this up."

**He had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Ron, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging his stomach, and Hermione, who had spread her homework over three tables.**

"Ok, it might just be me, but I hope she drops those extra classes soon," Tonks said worried. "I'm impressed that she lasted this long, but she's going to lose her mind if she keeps this up."

"She drops one subject around Easter," Minerva said. "But she doesn't drop Muggle Studies until the end of the year."

"Still not healthy for her," Molly said concerned.

"Why does she want to take Muggle Studies when she's Muggle-born?" Sirius asked incredulously though no one bothered to answer.

**"****Where is everyone?" said Harry.**

**"****Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching Harry closely. "It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."**

"Yes, you have to eat, Harry," said Molly as if he was here. "There's no point in making yourself ill."

"A little late on that," Mad-Eye disagreed. "He sounds pretty sick to me. Besides, this already happened."

"You're not helping!"

**Harry slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.**

**"****You really don't look well, you know," Hermione said, peering anxiously into his face.**

"Oh, leave him alone, Hermione," Tonks said. "I think you know exactly what his problem is."

"Did she really expect him to be alright?" Kingsley asked, raising a brow, but looked very sad. "He just heard about how his parents got killed."

Albus shook his head. He didn't like this year at all. It may have been one of the safest years they had, but this slow torture of not knowing what was going to happen or what to believe was horrible.

"See what you're doing to him!" snapped Molly angrily to Sirius who shrugged in a helpless sort of way. "I'm sorry," he said. "If I knew he would find out like this I would've acted a lot sooner."

He sounded so hopeless that Molly felt her anger disappear—unable to stay angry with someone who sounded so defeated.

**"I'm fine," said Harry.**

**"****Harry, listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."**

**"****Like what?" said Harry.**

**"****Like trying to go after Black," said Ron sharply.**

"No, Harry… don't do something that could put you in danger," exclaimed Molly, her eyes over-bright again.

"That's what Malfoy was getting at in Potions!" exclaimed Remus remembering what Draco had said about wanting to go after Black. "Of course he'd know about all this."

Sirius flinched, really hoping Harry wouldn't do anything as stupid that could get him in trouble. He didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself if Harry got hurt because of him.

**Harry could tell they had rehearsed this conversation while he had been asleep. He didn't say anything.**

**"****You won't, will you, Harry?" said Hermione.**

"Wouldn't surprise me if he did," Mad-Eye said calmly, pretending not to notice the hard glares that were sent at him.

**"****Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron.**

**Harry looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all.**

Molly sighed. "I think they do," she said quietly in a sad voice. "They're just afraid he'll act out of anger and put himself in danger. They don't want to lose their best friend after everything they've went through… they want him to stay safe and happy."

Silence rang through the room for the several seconds before Sirius said, "I can understand that. But being happy while staying safe is sometimes impossible." He glared over at Dumbledore as he said that before he listened to Arthur sigh and continue.

**"D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?" Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her —"**

'_Ah, but it was never her that he was after_,' Albus thought sadly, suddenly wishing that they didn't come today.

"Oh, Harry…" Molly whispered, fighting back the tears. "Please don't…"

Sirius was bursting to say that he would never do that, but he no longer saw the point of yelling that out loud. He just sat there miserable, until he felt Remus's hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

**"****There's nothing you can do!" said Hermione, looking stricken. "The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and — and serve him right!"**

**"****You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others."**

"Not a punishment?" repeated Sirius faintly. "Oh, believe me, it was. I spent twelve years constantly thinking about the mistake I made of having Peter be the Secret-Keeper, and what the consequences of that mistake were. You try to tell me that's not a punishment!" he trailed off, unable to say anything to that.

"He's upset Sirius," Arthur said sadly.

**"****So what are you saying?" said Ron, looking very tense. "You want to — to kill Black or something?"**

**"****Don't be silly," said Hermione in a panicky voice. "Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?"**

**Again, Harry didn't answer. He didn't know what he wanted to do. All he knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while Black was at liberty, was almost more than he could stand.**

Sirius's mouth fell open in shock. "He wants to kill me…?" he croaked out so quietly that he just mouthed the words.

"He doesn't mean that," Albus said gently. "Sirius, you know as well as I do that he could never bring himself to kill someone. It's how he gets when he's left to brood over something like this… he doesn't mean it. He's just angry. We all say things that we don't mean when we lose our tempers."

Sirius couldn't stand this. His own godson had wanted him dead… sure that couldn't be further from the truth NOW, but still, the idea that Harry had hated him so badly that he wanted him dead felt no different than a knife in the heart.

He never wished more intensely that Remus never found these damn books.

**"****Malfoy knows," he said abruptly. "Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself… I'd want revenge.'"**

"And you're gonna listen to that git instead of your friends?" said Sirius outraged. "Please tell me he snaps out of it."

"Harry," Tonks cried exasperated, "You know that Malfoy would love you to do something stupid and get expelled, or worse, killed for it!"

"I doubt that he actually wishing to kill Harry," Albus said.

"This is coming from the kid that was sorry that Hermione wasn't killed by the Basilisk!" Tonks cried still angry at that.

"He's still just a child," Albus said sadly, hoping against hope that the boy would come over to the right side before it was too late. He knew that once you turn sixteen, you are officially allowed to join the Death Eaters. And Severus informed him that the boy's parents were having him join in just a few months time on his sixteenth birthday. He knew that unless Draco had the courage to do the right thing, then he would soon be branded with the Dark Mark. And he also knew that Draco wouldn't fully understand what that meant until it was too late. And once he did he would want out… unfortunately that won't happen until Voldemort was defeated. They had to end this soon. "He was raised this way. I'm sure that he would never actually want someone killed."

"You just keep telling yourself that," Arthur said, thinking with hate at Malfoy Senior. "But I'll believe it when I see it."

**"****You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" said Ron furiously. "Listen… you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me — the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find.**

"He cut it off himself, right?" Arthur asked and when they nodded, he added bitterly, "As much as I hate to admit it, it was quick-thinking on his part."

"He was always good at escaping when we were at school. One of the reasons we liked having him around," Sirius said like it cost him a lot to say.

**Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous —"**

"I'm not dangerous to you Harry," Sirius getting up and starting to pace the room back and forth just to have something to do.

**"****Malfoy's dad must have told him," said Harry, ignoring Ron. "He was right in Voldemort's inner circle —"**

"Stop saying that!" Sirius shouted angrily, stopping in his pacing. "I'm not working for that bastard."

"Calm down, Padfoot. We all know you don't work for Voldemort, so stop yelling every time Harry says something like that," Minerva said in a forced patient voice.

**"****Say You-Know-Who, will you?" interjected Ron angrily.**

**"— ****so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort —"**

**"— and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip. Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch."**

"Again," Mad-Eye said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did want that."

**"****Harry, please," said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, "Please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants… Oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"**

"That's actually a really good card to play when in a situation like this," Kingsley admitted.

"A good card, but a bit underhanded if you ask me," Remus replied, now feeling bad that he had used that excuse when he scolded Harry after taking the map back. "Especially when he's already feeling bad about something."

Sirius looked at him in surprise and was about to ask what he was talking about when Arthur continued.

**"****I'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them," said Harry shortly.**

Sirius glanced down and lightly pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering when the torture was going to end. He bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out at those words. His eyes squeezed themselves tight shut as he kept reminding himself what Remus told him the other day._ 'Harry doesn't blame me… he doesn't blame me… oh, what an idiot I am!'_

"Well, I know that Lily and James wouldn't want him to put himself in harm's way," Remus stated. "They would never want him to go after anyone, despite what they did. But I know that they would've wanted the two of you too meet."

Sirius shot him a grateful look as he finally sat back down again.

**There was a silence in which Crookshanks stretched luxuriously flexing his claws. Ron's pocket quivered.**

**"****Look," said Ron, obviously casting around for a change of subject, "it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's — let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!"**

**"****No!" said Hermione quickly. "Harry isn't supposed to leave the castle, Ron —"**

"Well, I'm sure it's ok if he was just going down to visit Hagrid," Tonks said slowly with her eyebrows raised.

**"****Yeah, let's go," said Harry, sitting up, "and I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!"**

"Oh, great," Sirius groaned. "Now he's mad at Hagrid!"

"This isn't going to be pretty," Mad-Eye said, thinking of how the half-giant was going to react.

**Further discussion of Sirius Black plainly wasn't what Ron had had in mind.**

**"****Or we could have a game of chess," he said hastily, "or Gobstones. Percy left a set —"**

**"****No, let's visit Hagrid," said Harry firmly.**

"Nice try, Ron," Arthur mumbled, not looking forward to this.

**So they got their cloaks from their dormitories and set off through the portrait hole ("Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels!"), down through the empty castle and out through the oak front doors.**

**They made their way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, their socks and the hems of their cloaks soaked and freezing. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake.**

"Sounds beautiful!" Tonks sighed happily, thinking about it dreamily.

**Ron knocked, but there was no answer.**

"Oh well, he's not home!" Sirius called out, not looking forward to hearing Harry accuse Hagrid. "Time to go back in and forget all about this."

"Don't get your hopes up, Black," Moody stated.

**"****He's not out, is he?" said Hermione, who was shivering under her cloak.**

**Ron had his ear to the door.**

**"****There's a weird noise," he said. "Listen — is that Fang?"**

**Harry and Hermione put their ears to the door too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.**

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Sirius, completely distracted from his own problems for a minute. "What happened to Hagrid?"

After a couple of tense seconds' silence, Minerva said tersely, "Just keep reading, Arthur."

**"****Think we'd better go and get someone?" said Ron nervously.**

**"****Hagrid!" called Harry, thumping the door. "Hagrid, are you in there?"**

"Not very polite when he's angry is he?" Tonks said trying to lighten the mood.

"Would you be if you were in his shoes?" Kingsley asked.

"Good point," she said putting her head down.

**There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest.**

**"****You've heard?" he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry's neck.**

"What happened?" Molly asked worriedly.

**Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. **

"I would think not," agreed Sirius with a grimace. "Hagrid's hugs can kill if he doesn't notice if you turn blue."

**Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, was rescued by Ron and Hermione, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears that dripped down into his tangled beard.**

**"****Hagrid, what is it?" said Hermione, aghast.**

**Harry spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table.**

"A piece of paper," Sirius said sarcastically. "Scary."

"Would you knock it off!?" Minerva told him off.

**"****What's this, Hagrid?"**

**Hagrid's sobs redoubled, but he shoved the letter toward Harry, who picked it up and read aloud:**

_**Dear Mr. Hagrid,**_

_**Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.**_

"Oh, of course!" said Remus smacking his forehead at his forgetfulness. "The Hippogriff case! He's upset over Buckbeak!"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about Buckbeak," said Tonks guiltily. "Poor Hagrid. He must be so scared at what might happen."

**"****Well, that's okay then, Hagrid!" said Ron, clapping Hagrid on the shoulder. But Hagrid continued to sob, and waved one of his gigantic hands, inviting Harry to read on.**

"Buckbeak must be in big trouble," Molly said sadly.

"That's not fair. It was Malfoy's fault," Sirius growled, hating that anyone would want to kill his one companion while he was on the run.

"You think that matters?" Arthur asked with a sour look on his face.

_**However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, **_

"Of course that snake would be behind all this," Sirius groaned.

_**and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.**_

_**Yours in fellowship…**_

**There followed a list of the school governors.**

"They can't do that!" Molly frowned in distress. "He's not dangerous! All Hippogriffs attack when provoked!"

"Well, Lucius offered the complaint" Sirius offered cynically. "Take it from me, Ministry hearings are hardly ever fair. Not unless you can pay them off."

"I can't argue with that logic," Remus sighed.

**"****Oh," said Ron. "But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off."**

**"****Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" choked Hagrid, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"**

"Oh, poor Hagrid," Tonks whimpered, wishing that she could've hugged the man when he needed it.

"While I agree, I think that Hagrid needs to learn the difference between interesting creatures and dangerous monsters," muttered Minerva, shaking her head.

"Yes," Albus had to agree. "But I personally find that to be part of Hagrid's charm."

**A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made Harry, Ron, and Hermione whip around. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.**

**"****I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!" choked Hagrid. "All on his own! At Christmas."**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another. They had never seen eye to eye with Hagrid about what he called 'interesting creatures' and other people called 'terrifying monsters.' On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak. In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, he was positively cute.**

"That's true, besides, Buckbeak just did what was natural to him, it was Malfoy's fault for not listening," Remus said.

"Buckbeak wouldn't hurt a fly as long as it didn't bother him," Sirius said in a know-it-all tone. "As long as you're polite and compliment him every time he looks at you, he's happy. So in other words, it's like dealing with your girlfriend."

The males in the room all had to fight their laughs as the three women in the room looked at him murderously. Arthur decided that it was best to go on before Sirius was killed.

**"****You'll have to put up a good strong defense, Hagrid," said Hermione, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm. "I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe."**

"Yeah, damn straight!" yelled Tonks encouragingly.

"Yes, it shouldn't be too hard. All he had to do was just get some eye-witness accounts from the other students, and get some information from books," added Kingsley.

"I wish," Sirius muttered grimly, "But I'm not going to get my hopes up."

**"****Won' make no diff'rence!" sobbed Hagrid. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! Ad if I lose the case, Buckbeak —" **

**Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his arms.**

"He's probably right," Mad-Eye said conversationally. "There doesn't seem to be anything that Malfoy can't buy."

Everyone exchanged frowns. How was the Ministry this corrupted even then?

**"****What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?" said Harry.**

"I wish I could've help," Albus said sadly. "But it all all I could do to prevent them from forcing me to fire Hagrid."

"They really couldn't do that could they?" Molly asked scared.

"If they have all the school governs on their side, then yes, it wouldn't be too difficult," Albus admitted. "Thankfully, I was able to convince them otherwise that Hagrid never meant any harm to any of the students."

They all let that sink in for a few minutes before they went back to the story.

**"****He's done more'n enough fer me already," groaned Hagrid. "Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them Dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around."**

**Ron and Hermione looked quickly at Harry, as though expecting him to start berating Hagrid for not telling him the truth about Black. But Harry couldn't bring himself to do it, not now that he saw Hagrid so miserable and scared.**

"Well, at least he has something else to focus on other than me," Sirius said with a sigh of relief. He was glad that Harry couldn't bring himself to question Hagrid about him… at least not yet.

**"****Listen, Hagrid," he said, "you can't give up. Hermione's right, you just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses —"**

**"****I'm sure I've read about a case of Hippogriff-baiting," said Hermione thoughtfully, "where the Hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened."**

**Hagrid howled still more loudly. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron to help them.**

**"****Er — shall I make a cup of tea?" said Ron.**

"How's that going to help now?" Tonks asked.

Arthur laughed as he looked over at Molly who blushed.

**Harry stared at him.**

**"****It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," Ron muttered, shrugging.**

"Well," Kingsley said calmly, "Like mother, like son eh?"

She actually chuckled at that, having a hard time not to smile at those words.

**At last, after many more assurances of help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, "Yer right. I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together…"**

"That's right, Hagrid," Tonks said encouragingly. "Don't let the Ministry tell you what to do."

**Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid's knee.**

**"****I've not bin meself lately," said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes —"**

**"****We do like them!" lied Hermione at once.**

**"****Yeah, they're great!" said Ron, crossing his fingers under the table. "Er — how are the flobberworms?"**

**"****Dead," said Hagrid gloomily. "Too much lettuce."**

"Shame on you Hagrid," Sirius said shaking his head, a smile fighting to break free. "You think he would know better than that."

**"****Oh no!" said Ron, his lip twitching.**

**"****An' them Dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder. "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban —"**

Sirius shuddered, and he was by no means the only one to do so. "I don't blame you, Hagrid," he croaked, suddenly feeling sympathetic towards the gamekeeper.

**He fell silent, gulping his tea. Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched him breathlessly. They had never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban before. After a pause, Hermione said timidly, "Is it awful in there, Hagrid?"**

"Is it awful?" Sirius repeated incredulously, "And you all claim that she's the brightest witch of her age?"

"She's never been there," Minerva said firmly. "And I intend to keep it that way."

"I agree with that," Molly said in agreement as everyone else all nodded, determine to do whatever it took to protect those kids.

**"****Yeh've no idea," said Hagrid quietly. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind… the day I got expelled from Hogwarts… day me dad died… day I had ter let Norbert go…"**

**His eyes filled with tears. Norbert was the baby dragon Hagrid had once won in a game of cards.**

**"****Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' really see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep. **

"Poor guy," said Tonks with concern and couldn't help but look over at Sirius as she said those words.

Sirius flinched horribly once again at the reminder that he had to put up with that life for twelve years. Twelve long whole years. He had gone so white, that when Remus threw a comforting arm around his friend's shoulder in silent support, he was surprised that his arm did not pass straight through like the ghost he was looking like.

**When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."**

'_Well, at least the effect of the Dementors isn't permanent,'_ Mad-Eye thought grimly. He always hated the fact that such devils were the ones in charge of the prisoners. Sure most of them in that prison deserved it, but Dementors won't hesitate for a second in joining Voldemort either. _'These Dementors are leeches, and have no morality or reasoning. They don't seem to serve much purpose, wish is a further indication that they may have been created by someone and that their allegiance would be to the Dark side.'_

He wished he knew who did create them… he would've personally seen to them.

"But he was innocent!" cried Tonks in outrage.

"They don't give a damn about technicalities like that," Sirius explained sullenly. "Just so long as they can have humans in there with them, they could be as innocent as newborns for all they care."

**"****But you were innocent!" said Hermione.**

**Hagrid snorted.**

**"****Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not."**

"Déjà vu," Arthur said and several of them smiled half-heartedly.

**Hagrid went quiet for a moment, staring into his tea. Then he said quietly, "Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go… tryin' ter make him fly away… but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An' — an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law…" He looked up at them, tears leaking down his face again. "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."**

"They wouldn't throw him in Azkaban for that, would they?" Molly asked them all nervously.

"I don't know," Remus admitted.

"I'm sure that they would find some excuse to try," Sirius snapped. "They've sent people there for less. And let's not forget they had no problem sending Hagrid there the year before all this happened and he hadn't even done anything!"

**The trip to Hagrid's, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect Ron and Hermione had hoped. Though Harry had by no means forgotten about Black, he couldn't brood constantly on revenge if he wanted to help Hagrid win his case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. He, Ron, and Hermione went to the library the next day and returned to the empty common room laden with books that might help prepare a defense for Buckbeak. The three of them sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant.**

"I'm glad it's keeping Harry from brooding over this," Molly said quietly. "And I hope all the work they put into it means they can get Buckbeak off…"

"Well, let me remind you all that Bucky's upstairs?" Sirius asked, cheering up slightly. "I could bring him down and…"

"No," Molly cried out quickly. She cared about the Hippogriff's safety, but she wasn't sure she wanted to be left alone in the same room with it.

"Why not?" Sirius asked brightly "I'm sure that he'd love to get out of the room for a change. It would be great to have him sit here," he gestured to the space in front of the fire, "And have him listen to us talk about him. I think he'd like that."

"It's just a bird," Mad-Eye said annoyed, not looking for anymore interruptions.

"It's a Hippogriff," Sirius retorted, "And he's a smart one at that. I should know, I've been on the run with him for over two years."

"Not something you want to brag about…" Tonks teased lightly and he glared at her playfully.

"Fine," he said, "But he's coming to join us before this book is over. And I doubt we'll be able to get through this today anyway."

**"****Here's something… there was a case in 1722… but the Hippogriff was convicted — ugh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting —"**

"In that case, it's probably not going to help Buckbeak," remarked Arthur, going green at what he suspected what happened to it.

**"****This might help, look — a Manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the Manticore off — oh — no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it…"**

"That's a good reason if you ask me," Tonks muttered. "I wouldn't want to go near it either."

**Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers **

Sirius and Remus's eyes narrowed at the mention of that filthy rat.

**poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air.**

"The only thing that he was ever able to call a _talent_ was his sense of smell," Sirius growled.

**On Christmas morning, Harry was woken by Ron throwing his pillow at him.**

**"****Oy! Presents!"**

**Harry reached for his glasses and put them on, squinting through the semi-darkness to the foot of his bed, where a small heap of parcels had appeared. Ron was already ripping the paper off his own presents.**

**"****Another sweater from Mum… maroon again… see if you've got one."**

**Harry had. Mrs. Weasley had sent him a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle. As he moved all these things aside, he saw a long, thin package lying underneath.**

Sirius grinned at this, excitement boiling over inside him as he leaned forward, eager to listen. "Gee, I wonder what that could be?"

"Only you would get a kid an international standard broom, Sirius," Remus smiled.

"Like I said," he said, sounding more cheerful than he had been all book, "I had twelve years worth of presents to make up for."

**"What's that?" said Ron, looking over, a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand.**

**"Dunno…"**

**Harry ripped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto his bedspread. Ron dropped his socks and jumped off his bed for a closer look.**

**"****I don't believe it," he said hoarsely.**

**It was a Firebolt,**

"Yes," Sirius cheered, smiling around at the room. He always wished he could've seen the look on Harry's face when he opened the Firebolt that Christmas morning, but it looks like he would just have to settle for hearing about it instead.

**identical to the dream broom Harry had gone to see every day in Diagon Alley. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. He could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for him to mount it. His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.**

"Oh, I really want to fly it now," Tonks groaned as she looked over at Sirius with bright eyes.

"I haven't forgotten," he laughed as she started doing a little jig in excitement. "I'll get you one for next Christmas as well."

**"****Who sent it to you?" said Ron in a hushed voice.**

**"****Look and see if there's a card," said Harry.**

**Ron ripped apart the Firebolt's wrappings.**

"I wanted to," Sirius admitted sadly. "But what could I say_? 'Hey, I thought you would enjoy this, Love, the mass murderer that you think is trying to kill you.'_"

"You could've just signed it, _'From a Friend.' _Or something like that_,_" Tonks offered.

He thought that over. "I guess I could've done that. Oh, well. What can you do?"

**"****Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you?"**

**"****Well," said Harry, feeling stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys."**

"Bet they didn't even bother sending him anything that year," Sirius growled again.

**"****I bet it was Dumbledore," said Ron, now walking around and around the Firebolt, taking in every glorious inch. "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously…"**

**"****That was my dad's, though," said Harry. "Dumbledore was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students stuff like this —"**

**"****That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!" said Ron. "In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism. **

Albus chuckled several people sent him suspicious glances, as if they thought that he would do something like that. "Harry is quite right—it wouldn't be fair to favor some students over the others like this. I couldn't do something like this." But they all turned back to the book Albus sighed to himself, wishing that he could've done more to preserve Harry's happiness. A part of him wished that he could explain things to him, but he also knew all the reasons he couldn't and that logical part was out-weighing the other.

"To be fair, it would be," Minerva interrupted in agreement. "And as much as the Headmaster favors Harry, I can't see him spending all that money on a broomstick."

"Don't seem to favor him that much this year," Mad-Eye disagreed in a murmur, just loud enough only for the old man to have him and give him a dark look.

**Hey, Harry —" Ron gave a great whoop of laughter — "Malfoy! Wait 'til he sees you on this! He'll be sick as a pig! This is an international standard broom, this is!"**

"Oh, I can't wait to see the look on Malfoy's face when he sees that broom…" said Tonks dreamily.

"Oh, it was something to see," chuckled Remus, remembering the stunned expressions on all the student's faces when they saw the Firebolt for the first time. Draco looked like he was hit in the face with a heavy weight.

Sirius grinned properly for the first time in ages and let out a shout of laughter. "Ha! Oh, I would've given anything to have seen it! This is _excellent_!"

**"****I can't believe this," Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron sank onto Harry's bed, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. "Who—?"**

**"****I know," said Ron, controlling himself, "I know who it could've been — Lupin!"**

Remus' eyebrows shot up into hairline—he sure wasn't expecting that.

"I'm guessing that Ron doesn't pay much attention to anything other than his food," Tonks said shaking her head. "If you can afford a Firebolt, I think that you wouldn't have had to worry about finding a job."

"Yes," Remus said a little gloomily.

**"****What?" said Harry, now starting to laugh himself "Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes."**

**"****Yeah, but he likes you," said Ron. "And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you —"**

"Ron's right that I like Harry, of course," agreed Remus with a slight nod of the head, "But unfortunately… Harry's right as well. There's no way I could ever afford a Firebolt. If I had that kind of money, yes I would get some decent clothes." He forced himself to smile at them all as he tried to brush off some dirt that was clinging to the cuff of his robe… which was patched and falling appart.

**"****What d'you mean, he was away?" said Harry. "He was ill when I was playing in that match."**

**"****Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron. "I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?"**

**Harry frowned at Ron.**

Tonks frowned at Remus at the same time as Remus looked away guiltily, knowing full well that he hadn't been in the Hospital Wing.

"Do I really need to ask?" she asked in concern.

"Unfortunately, I was recovering in my office from the last full moon," Remus winced at the reminder.

**"****I can't see Lupin affording something like this."**

**"****What're you two laughing about?"**

**Hermione had just come in, wearing her dressing gown and carrying Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of tinsel tied around his neck.**

"He's not in the mood for Christmas cheer, it seems," snickered Tonks.

"She shouldn't do that," said Molly coolly. "She's bringing in her cat knowing full well that Scabbers is in there to."

"Yeah, she should have just let the bloody cat eat him long ago," Sirius hissed out under his breath resentfully, he had been bursting to say that all chapter—even if no one else could hear him he needed to say it again. He was so angry, that he didn't even realize that Mad-Eye's eye had looked over at him again.

**"****Don't bring him in here!" said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket.**

**But Hermione wasn't listening. She dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt.**

**"****Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?"**

"Me," said Sirius innocently—and yet proudly.

**"****No idea," said Harry. "There wasn't a card or anything with it."**

**To his great surprise, Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.**

"Oh, no," Minerva said shaking her head.

"What is it now?" Sirius said, not wanting his good mood to be taken away so soon.

"Nothing," she said quickly and looking away from him. He was going to find out soon anyway.

**"****What's the matter with you?" said Ron.**

**"****I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"**

"Only the best broom ever made!" Tonks cried out. "She really needs to get with the program."

"Not everyone's a Quidditch fanatic," Mad-Eye stated, remembering all the posters of Quidditch players that was stuck on her walls at work.

**Ron sighed exasperatedly.**

**"****It's the best broom there is, Hermione," he said.**

**"****So it must've been really expensive…"**

**"****Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.**

Sirius grinned at that. Yes, it certainly did… probably the reason why dear daddy didn't buy it for Draco… heh, looks like not even the Malfoy's can buy everything.

**"****Well… who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd sent it?" said Hermione.**

**"****Who cares?" said Ron impatiently. "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"**

**"****I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Hermione shrilly.**

**Harry and Ron looked at her.**

"What's the matter with her?" asked Sirius furiously. He wanted to read about how his godson took the broom for its first flight.

"She's actually showing constant vigilance," Mad-Eye said approvingly. "She thinks that you were the one who sent it to Potter, Black."

"How'd she think that?" he asked. "I mean, yeah, it's true, but how would she think it's from me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kingsley asked with his deep voice. "A teenage boy, who happens to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, got his old broom destroyed. While at the same time, everyone thinks that there's a mass murderer on the loose after that him—and then all of a sudden, he gets the best broom that money can buy at Christmas with no note… is that reason enough for you?"

Sirius glared at him; but unable to think of anything to say to counter it.

Minerva sighed, "Hermione thought that you bought it because it would be the easiest way of luring Harry into a trap. A jinxed broom can still look and feel perfectly normal, until you get it in the air that is… but by then, it's too late…"

"But I haven't jinxed it!" he yelled back, feverishly.

"We know that! But they didn't…"

**"****What d'you think Harry's going to do with it — sweep the floor?" said Ron.**

Sirius snickered—though was still cross at what Kingsley and Minerva said.

**But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Ron's chest.**

'_Oh, yeah!'_ Sirius cheered in his mind, though he knew that it didn't happen. _'Get him Crookshanks!'_

**"****GET — HIM — OUT — OF — HERE!" Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the trunk at the end of Harry's bed, knocking it over and causing Ron to hop up and down, howling with pain.**

**Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end. A shrill, tinny, whistling was filling the room. The Pocket Sneakoscope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor.**

"That thing's still going off?" Arthur asked in surprise. He was sure that the reason it went off on the train was because Remus was listening in on them. But now… he shuddered at the idea that Peter Pettigrew really could be… he couldn't even finish such a disgusting thought.

"Of course it goes off all the time… they always have that bloody rat around," Sirius whispered to Remus who nodded glumly.

"It's either extremely faulty or there is someone in the room who is not very trustworthy," Mad-Eye confirmed, shrugging it off. Though he, personally, was going for option number 2.

Now even Molly was tense. "I'd completely forgotten about the Sneakoscope," she murmured thoughtfully, "But isn't it just Harry, Hermione, and Ron in there? Who would be considered an enemy in Gryffindor tower…?"

"I think that we should just keep going," Kingsley offered, though he already figured out the reason as he shared a meaningful glance at Sirius who was glaring at the book in suppressed rage.

**"****I forgot about that!" Harry said, bending down and picking up the Sneakoscope. "I never wear those socks if I can help it…"**

Sirius' teeth clenched together as he was reminded of the Dursleys' poor treatment of his godson. He was sure that Lily was adopted and no one ever knew it. There was just no way that anyone as kind and gentle as Lily Evans could ever be related to that horse, Petunia.

**The Sneakoscope whirled and whistled in his palm. Crookshanks was hissing and spitting at it.**

**"****You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," said Ron furiously, sitting on Harry's bed nursing his toe. "Can't you shut that thing up?" he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room, Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron.**

**Harry stuffed the Sneakoscope back inside the socks and threw it back into his trunk. All that could be heard now were Ron's stifled moans of pain and rage. Scabbers was huddled in Ron's hands. It had been a while since Harry had seen him out of Ron's pocket, and he was unpleasantly surprised to see that Scabbers, once so fat, was now very skinny; patches of fur seemed to have fallen out too.**

"It looks like he's worried," Sirius said with a dark smile—pleased at the idea that rat had been so scared of him.

**"****He's not looking too good, is he?" Harry said.**

**"****It's stress!" said Ron. "He'd be fine if that big stupid furball left him alone!"**

'_But that can't just be it… hadn't Scabbers been losing weight since before Hermione got Crookshanks?'_ Tonks thought to herself, frowning in frustration. She always hated puzzles… and these books are nothing but giant, confusing jigsaw puzzles to her.

**But Harry, remembering what the woman at the Magical Menagerie had said about rats living only three years, couldn't help feeling that unless Scabbers had powers he had never revealed, he was reaching the end of his life. **

"Pity he didn't," Sirius hissed under his breath. "Would've saved me a lot of trouble."

**And despite Ron's frequent complaints that Scabbers was both boring and useless, he was sure Ron would be very miserable if Scabbers died.**

"That's true," Molly said fondly. "Ron may complain, but he's got a big heart."

**Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor common room that morning. Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory, but was furious with Ron for trying to kick him; Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers. Harry gave up trying to make them talk to each other and devoted himself to examining the Firebolt, which he had brought down to the common room with him. For some reason this seemed to annoy Hermione as well; she didn't say anything, but she kept looking darkly at the broom as though it too had been criticizing her cat.**

"Actually," Minerva said, remembering the anxious look in Hermione's eyes when she went to see her later that day, "I think she was more worried than critical."

"He always seems to be stuck in the middle of those two, isn't he?" Kingsley asked sympathetically.

Albus shrugged, smiling vaguely. "He does seem to be the Peacemaker. We all know that out of the three of them, he's the cool-headed, patient one. Until he loses his suppressed anger that is…"

Sirius grimaced at that thought, knowing how true that was.

**At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. **

Tonks blinked, startled. "Wow, you really know how to make an impression, Sirius," she said. "I mean in the last book there were more people than just this! And that was when people were getting petrified by an unknown monster."

"Good to know that everyone thinks I'm a force to be reckoned with," he said, determined to look on the bright side of this development.

"And they haven't even seen you in action yet," Remus joked a little, which caused a small grin to twitch on his lips.

**Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. **

"How is that any different than what he usually wears?" Tonks asked, wrinkling her now large nose.

"Sounds like Lupin isn't the only one who needs a new wardrobe," Mad-Eye said, and smiled wickedly when he saw Remus turn red at being compared to Filch.

**There were only three other students, two extremely nervous-looking first years and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.**

**"****Happy Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables… Sit down, sit down!"**

Albus smiled. If he had it his way, all the Houses would be sitting together all the time. That is, if they didn't all kill each other in the process.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down side by side at the end of the table.**

**"****Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witches hat topped with a stuffed vulture.**

All of them remembered Neville's Boggart, and how it was forced to wear his grandmother's clothes and they burst out laughing immediately without any restraint—suddenly even gladder that Severus wasn't here to read today.

"Oh, that must've been painful," Arthur chortled loudly. "What are the odds of that coming out of a hat?"

"Wish I could've seen the look on his face," Sirius said happily. "Wonder if I should send him a hat just like that one for next year?"

"I don't think that he'll take too kindly to that," Albus chuckled.

Sirius waved his hand at him as if brushing that fact aside. "He needs to learn to lighten up and get a sense of humor. I'm sure that if he's objected to it enough, he'll get one."

**Harry, remembering the Boggart, caught Ron's eye and they both grinned; Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.**

"Sounds like we aren't the only ones thinking about that," Remus laughed.

"Of course not!" Sirius said, grinning broadly. "And we can all thank you for that, Professor Moony!"

"Me?" Remus questioned in confusion.

"Who was it that came up with the idea of having Snape in Grandma's clothing?" Sirius said, rolling his eyes and talking as if he was speaking to someone dense.

**"****Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.**

**As Harry was helping himself to roast potatoes, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.**

"That's not a bad description in fact," Albus said, laughing again as everyone thought that over. "I actually had that same impression to tell you all the truth."

**"****Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.**

**"****I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? **

"That…" Minerva said rather stiffly, "Or she was hungry."

"Like I said," Sirius said grinning at her. "I like this new side of you, Professor."

**I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…"**

**"****Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair —"**

**And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. **

Minerva suddenly thought of something and had to ask Dumbledore, "Did you purposely sit her besides me, Headmaster?" Albus looked up at the ceiling and hummed a little tune as if he didn't hear her; and he laced his fingers together with slight smile on his face that couldn't be more than obvious.

Tonks grinned as she shook her head and said with a laugh, as Minerva was suddenly looking irritated, "You're something else professor."

"It was Christmas," he answered, still looking at the ceiling. "And since they never seat together any other time of the year, I thought that this would be good for them both."

"You could've at least asked me," she snapped under her breath, now avoiding looking at him as he smiled apologetically at her.

**Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.**

**"****I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"**

**"****We'll risk it, Sybill," said Professor McGonagall impatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."**

"Hey, I've just thought of something," said Arthur in surprise. "Where's Hagrid?"

"He was spending it with Buckbeak," said Albus lightly. "He didn't want to leave him alone on Christmas day. Especially if he was going to try and get an appeal for him."

"Where're you, Remus?" asked Molly. "You're not there either."

"I was, ah—_'ill'_—again," he answered dourly. "It's nothing you need to be worried about, Molly."

**Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.**

**"****Tripe, Sybill?"**

**Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"**

"I never knew she cared," Remus said politely.

**"****I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."**

Remus sighed solemnly. He had been hoping to spend Christmas that year at school with everyone else, but…

Tonks glanced around at him and said, "I'm sorry, Remus. That _is_ unlucky."

Remus waved her hand away, "It's nothing. You miss a lot of good events with this condition but you get used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be used to it, though," she answered softly as she reached over and took his hand. Sirius expected Moony to pull away as soon as she touched him, but to his surprise—and delight—he didn't.

They all gazed at the couple, who seemed to have forgotten that they weren't alone as they looked at each other. This went on for several minutes until Mad-Eye, getting annoyed, cleared his throat—which caused them both to jump and turned away from each other with their faces bright red.

"I hated to break up your moment," Mad-Eye said pulling out his flask and toasting them. "But I'm sure that you can do that another time."

"Oh, shut up!" Tonks yelled at him as they both started to glow with the heat of their embarrassment and everyone else laughed. Still smiling, Arthur went on.

**"****But surely you already knew that, Sybill?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.**

**Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.**

**"****Certainly I knew, Minerva," she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."**

**"****That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly.**

"You go McGonagall!" Sirius whooped excited and stared at her as if he never saw her before. "Now why couldn't you ever be this funny in lessons, professor? I'm sure that it would've made things more interesting."

"Because, Sirius, you already had that taken care of," she answered in a matter-of-factly voice.

He thought it over and said, "I'll give you that."

**Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.**

**"****If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. **

"I think that she is referring to the fact that no Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has lasted longer than a year?" Minerva said with a self-satisfied smirk. Albus looked over at her and was willing to bet that she was thinking of Umbridge… at least judging from the strange glint in her eyes. To be honest, he also found the vision quite enjoyable as well.

**He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him —"**

**"****Imagine that," said Professor McGonagall dryly.**

**"****I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"**

"Very reluctantly, I'll bet you anything," Sirius muttered. He still wasn't happy that his old enemy had been giving something to his old friend to drink for that whole year.

"Poor Professor Moony, having a full moon on Christmas," Tonks said sadly looking at him as she spoke.

He looked back and said as he jerked his head to Moody, "Let's not go there again unless you want Mad-Eye to say something."

**"****Yes, Headmaster," said Snape.**

"Are you sure that he never tried to slip you something?" Sirius asked Remus who looked over at him with his eyebrows raised.

"I'm sure he thought of it," Remus nodded to himself. "But he never actually did or else I wouldn't be standing here right now would I?"

**"****Good," said Dumbledore. "Then he should be up and about in no time… Derek, have you had any of the chipolatas? They're excellent."**

**The first-year boy went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.**

**Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their cracker hats, Harry and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.**

**"****My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?"**

**"****Dunno," said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry.**

**"****I doubt it will make much difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall."**

Everyone laughed at McGonagall as she went a little red around the cheeks.

"I can see that you're willing to do anything to prove her wrong," Mad-Eye said with one of his twisted grins.

Sirius also smirked and said, "You know? I love this side of you professor. Who knew you had such a great sense of humor? Tell me, did you ever secretly think that you found all our pranks funny?"

"No," she said sternly. Not that she would ever admit it… but she did think that some of their pranks _were_ funny. Though most of them she found to be cruel and hurtful… they did end up hurting a lot a people while they were at school. But she decided that she would wait to tell him off for that until later.

**Even Ron laughed. Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted.**

**"****Coming?" Harry said to Hermione.**

**"****No," Hermione muttered. "I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall."**

**"****Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes," yawned Ron as they make their way into the Entrance Hall, which was completely devoid of mad axe-men.**

"I don't think that's likely," said Molly irritably, "Given that she's already taking _every _course the school has to offer."

**When they reached the portrait hole they found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas part with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor toasted them with a flagon of mead.**

"Sounds like it was one hell of a party…" Sirius said thinking it over. "You know I wouldn't want to live in this guy's world… but I sure wouldn't mind to visit."

"As long as there was a party going on," Remus smiled at him shrewdly.

Sirius held up his hands and said, "Don't hate me for being me. I haven't had a good party in years."

**"****Happy — hic — Christmas! Password?"**

**"****Scurvy cur," said Ron.**

**"****And the same to you, sir!" roared Sir Cadogan, as the painting swung forward to admit them.**

**Harry went straight up to the dormitory, collected his Firebolt and the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had given him for his birthday, brought them downstairs and tried to find something to do with the Firebolt; however, there were no bent twigs to clip, and the handle was so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish it. He and Ron simply sat admiring it from every angle, **

"Boys and their brooms," Molly said shaking her head but in was in a fond way. At least they were enjoying themselves in a way that didn't involve adventure and danger.

**until the portrait hole opened, and Hermione came in, accompanied by Professor McGonagall.**

"Oh no," Sirius grimaced, "I know where this is going." Why couldn't he just so much as give his godson a present without having it confiscated?

**Though Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House, Harry had only seen her in the common room once before, and that had been to make a very grave announcement. He and Ron stared at her, both holding the Firebolt. Hermione walked around them, sat down, picked up the nearest book and hid her face behind it.**

"She's feeling guilty already," Tonks sighed sadly, knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

"As she should," Sirius scowled.

"She's just worried about Harry's safety," Minerva snapped, in immediate defense, and Sirius glowered at her but nodded as if against his will.

**"****So that's it, is it?" said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolt. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter."**

**Harry and Ron looked around at Hermione. They could see her forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside-down.**

**"****May I?" said Professor McGonagall, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolt out of their hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. **

Albus had to fight back a laugh. Even though he knew his deputy's first priority had been keeping Harry safe, he also knew her well enough to know that she also wanted to hold and examine such a broom.

**"Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"**

"I am not liking where this is going…" Sirius groaned.

"It was for the best," Minerva said firmly. "At least we know that it was safe."

"You better not have done anything terrible to it!" he glowered back.

**"****No," said Harry blankly.**

**"****I see…" said Professor McGonagall. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter."**

"Thanks for ruining his Christmas," Sirius snapped at her.

"Sirius," Molly said darkly. "Let it go."

**"****W — what?" said Harry, scrambling to his feet. "Why?"**

**"****It will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down —"**

The Quidditch fanatics in the room all cringed at the idea of having the Firebolt being _stripped down_.

"Strip it down," Sirius croaked as if someone had threatened him with something horrible.

"Relax Black, it's just a broom," Moody said annoyed.

"Just a broom?!" Sirius and Tonks both cried out in horror.

"It's like saying that your eye is just an eye!" Tonks gasped as she pointed to the swirling eye.

"Blasphemy," Sirius hissed.

**"****Strip it down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad.**

**"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."**

**"****There's nothing wrong with it!" said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor —"**

**"****You can't know that, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, "not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."**

**Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in his hands. **

"Imagine his luck. He's the owner of the best broom in the world, then his best friend helps to get it confiscated," said Sirius, furious.

"This is in the past let me remind you all!" Kingsley called out. "And judging from the fact that Harry has his broom and is still friends with Hermione, it all worked out in the end."

"Doesn't mean I have to like how it started!" Sirius snarled back.

**Ron, however, rounded on Hermione.**

**"****What did you go running to McGonagall for?"**

**Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.**

**"****Because I thought — and Professor McGonagall agrees with me — that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"**

"And there it is" Sirius sighed sullenly. "Everyone always points fingers at me."

"But you were the one who sent it," Molly reminded him.

"Yeah, but I didn't do anything to it though did I?"

"That's the end of the chapter," Arthur called over them both to make himself heard. He shut the book and then held it out for someone to take. "And I hope that things get better soon for these three."

Molly hesitated, but then she reached over and took the book from her husband and said, "I hope that they aren't too mad at Hermione." She cleared her throat and read out, "**Chapter 12: ****The Patronus**."


	17. The Patronus

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**(Please tell me what you all think what animal your ****own**** Patronus would be and why. The animal can either be one that represents who you are… or take of the form of someone you dearly love. Like in the last challenge, I'll be giving the answers later on in the story. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with. And hope you all have fun with this.)**

**Chapter 15: The Patronus**

Molly hesitated, but then she reached over and took the book from her husband and said, "I hope that they aren't too mad at Hermione." She cleared her throat and read out, "**Chapter 12: ****The Patronus**."

And the picture this time was of Harry pointing his wand at what looked like an opening briefcase and a ghostly hand coming out of it. But before she could say anything about it—Sirius grinned up at Remus, some of his anger at Hermione had disappeared. "This must mean Harry makes at least _some_ progress with his Patronus. It's about time! I was starting to think you forgot all about it."

"Lily would've been so proud," Remus grinned back. They both remembered how much it would've meant to Lily—who Charms had easily been her best subject—if her son had inherited some of her talents.

"Before we read any further," Albus stated, looking over at Sirius. "I've been meaning to ask you. How did you order that broom while you were on the run?"

"Oh, that was easy," Sirius answered calmly with a rather smug grin. "I knew that Harry's old broom was smashed up by the tree and I wanted to make it up to him. So while I was sniffing around in Hogsmeade, literally as Padfoot of course, I found an old newspaper that talked about the latest broomstick models."

"And of course, you had to get the best one out there," Remus asked knowingly.

"Of course," Sirius grinned back. "I read all about them. And so far, only the professionals could get them… and I knew that if I got one for Harry, he'd be the only non-professional to have one. I filled the order form out and I had Crookshanks take the order to the Owl Office for me. I used Harry's name, but told them to take the gold from my own vault."

"Crookshanks?" Molly asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Sirius said coolly. "That is one smart cat. I asked him to take the order in for me, and off he went. From what I find out… he laid it on the desk when the workers weren't looking. And a few weeks later, it arrives for Christmas."

"While I am impressed that you did that, Sirius," Albus said looking at him. "It was still reckless."

"You're forgetting who you're talking to Dumbledore," Mad-Eye yawned. "This one's a hopeless case. He's completely mental."

"Plans like this are 90% mental," Sirius admitted. "But it's a bit rich for you to call me mental."

"I never said I wasn't," Mad-Eye said gruffly. "If you were doing my job, you would be to."

"Anyway," Kingsley said in his deep voice. "Let's all hope that this chapter is more cheerful than the last." Molly nodded then began.

**Harry knew that Hermione had meant well, but that didn't stop him from being angry with her. **

**He had been the owner of the best broom in the world for a few short hours, and now, because of her interference, he didn't know whether he would ever see it again. He was positive that there was nothing wrong with the Firebolt now, but what sort of state would it be in once it had been subjected to all sorts of anti-jinx tests?**

"It had better look exactly the same the same," stated Sirius threateningly looking over at Minerva as he said that.

"We didn't harm the broom and Granger was just looking out for him," Minerva said firmly.

"She was just doing what any concerned friend would do," Molly agreed stubbornly. "And Harry got it back didn't he? So why don't we just let the matter drop?" She then went on before Sirius could think of a comeback.

**Ron was furious with Hermione too. As far as he was concerned, the stripping-down of a brand-new Firebolt was nothing less than criminal damage. Hermione, who remained convinced that she had acted for the best, started avoiding the common room.**

"So much for holiday cheer," Tonks said glumly. She would hate it if her friends refused to talk to her like that and the only company she had where her books and homework.

"I can't believe they stopped talking to her because of a broom!" Molly said coldly. "I thought they valued each other more than broomsticks."

"They do," Remus reminded them all. "And while I agree that Hermione was just looking out for Harry… I think that she went about doing it the wrong way."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked confused when Moody snorted in disbelief.

"Does it really surprise you that Potter's angry?" Mad-Eye asked annoyed with them all for not figuring it out by themselves. When several of them looked over at him perplexed, he groaned and said brusquely. "Think about it for once. Granger was worried that Black sent Potter a cursed broom and if he tried it out it could've killed him. I agree that the broom needed to be searched for anything out of the ordinary. Granger did make the right call, but she did go behind his back to get it confiscated. To go behind your best friend's back like that and have something they love taken away is nothing short of a betrayal. She should have at least tried to talk to him and get him to understand why it was important. If she had told those two Quidditch fanatics her theory BEFORE going to McGonagall I think that they would've understood why she did it. Maybe they wouldn't have put up such a fuss. Sure, they probably wouldn't have listened to her anyway but at least she TRIED first. But I suppose that she was afraid that if they wouldn't listen to her. Though I have to agree that she did the right thing."

"Well yes," Molly said grudgingly, trying to find some way to stick up for Hermione. "But they shouldn't have turned on her like that…"

"Molly," Kingsley said calmly. "Does this really surprise you? Harry's is usually very reasonable and understanding. But you have to remember, that this was the third time he got Christmas gifts since he lived with his parents. He must treasure every gift that he gets. And don't you remember what he said about the Firebolt back in the Diagon Ally chapter? He never wanted anything more in his whole life… he was used to not getting what he wanted so it didn't bother him. But then on Christmas morning, he gets the one thing that he wanted more than anything else… and then it gets taken away because of his best friend. It does sound like the sort of thing his relatives would've done… though I highly doubt that they bothered to give him anything at all. So it doesn't surprise me that he's going to overreact a bit."

They all stared at him. They never thought about that. If they only had a third decent Christmas in their whole lives and then to have the one thing that you wanted confiscated because their friend… they would probably react the same way.

Looking upset, Molly just decided to keep reading.

**Harry and Ron supposed she had taken refuge in the library and didn't try to persuade her to come back.**

**All in all, they were glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and Gryffindor Tower became crowded and noisy again. Wood sought Harry out on the night before term started.**

**"****Had a good Christmas?" he said, and then, without waiting for an answer, he sat down, lowered his voice, and said, "I've been, doing some thinking over Christmas, Harry. After last match, you know. If the Dementors come to the next one… I mean… we can't afford you to — well —"**

"He better not be saying he wants to replace him!" Sirius said hotly. "So he died in the last match and he wants him replaced?!They can't do that! He's the best Seeker ever."

"He's just worried that Harry would fall off his broom again if the Dementors show up again," Minerva said stiffly. At least Wood had better been more worried about that!

**Wood broke off, looking awkward.**

Arthur grimaced. "He does have a dilemma doesn't he? He doesn't _want_ to take Harry off the team, but he's afraid that if the Dementors come to the next match, it'll destroy what chance they have of winning the Cup!"

"He should try being a little more loyal to his team," scowled Sirius indignantly. "Harry's the best Seeker Gryffindor has had in years! They can't replace him! They can't find anyone as good as he is and taking him off will cost them the cup for sure."

"Sirius think about it!" groaned Kingsley. "What would you do if you were him? If there is a risk that one of your players could faint again the next time Dementors show up, you would want to play someone else wouldn't you? That's not being disloyal; it's being honest, and what's best for the team."

Sirius glared at him. "And who else would he have replaced him with might I ask? They can't get another Seeker so soon!"

"He's got a point," Tonks said. "But hey, look on the bright side… Wood didn't kick him off the team."

'_No, but Umbride sure did,'_ Minerva thought bitterly. That old toad knew that with Harry and the twins on the team, that they were sure to win the cup. That's why she banned them from playing ever again… or at least as long as she's there. Which hopefully won't be for much longer.

**"****I'm working on it," said Harry quickly. "Professor Lupin said he'd train me to ward off the Dementors. We should be starting this week. He said he'd have time after Christmas."**

"Oh yeah!" said Sirius delightedly, beaming over at Remus. "Now we get to the Anti-Dementor lessons! I can't wait to hear this!"

**"****Ah," said Wood, his expression clearing. "Well, in that case — I really didn't want to lose you as Seeker, Harry. **

"I bet you didn't," said Sirius grinning. "They would've lost for sure if he got rid of him, and we all know it."

"Yes," Remus said smiling, "We get it Sirius. We all know how proud you are."

"You got that right!" Sirius said back, beaming.

**And have you ordered a new broom yet?"**

**"****No," said Harry.**

**"****What! You'd better get a move on, you know — you can't ride that Shooting Star against Ravenclaw!"**

"If he's this obsessive with Quidditch, I can't wait to hear how he takes the news of the Firebolt," Tonks said suddenly.

"He takes it very hard," Minerva said, remembering the many times that he came to her and asked for it back. She finally lost her temper and told him off when it became clear that he was more concerned with winning a game then about his player's lives.

**"****He got a Firebolt for Christmas," said Ron.**

**"****A Firebolt? No! Seriously? A — a real Firebolt?"**

"They better tell him not to get too excited about it," said Tonks gloomily. "McGonagall took it and isn't giving it back until she has proof that it's safe."

"Are you trying to ruin my godson's life?" Sirius asked her sharply. "First you won't let him go to Hogsmeade, and now you confiscated his broom! What's next?"

She glared at him. "I was only doing my job. I didn't know that it was safe. But if you rather he take chances and risk his life then by all means!"

"I didn't mean it like that!" he yelled back.

"Then you can't really blame me for being cautious can you? And let me remind you, he got it back before the next match."

**"****Don't get excited, Oliver," said Harry gloomily. "I haven't got it anymore. It was confiscated." And he explained all about how the Firebolt was now being checked for jinxes.**

**"****Jinxed? How could it be jinxed?"**

**"****Sirius Black," Harry said wearily. "He's supposed to be after me. So McGonagall reckons he might have sent it."**

"No _might_ about it, I did send it," said Sirius.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," said Molly, repeating what Minerva said. "We didn't know who it was to blame for those crimes back then now did we?"

**Waving aside the information that a famous murderer was after his Seeker, **

"Of course, Molly scoffed. "Because the idea that there's someone after Harry isn't as nearly as important as winning a stupid game!"

"I'm not after Harry!" Sirius retorted harshly. "How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

Molly blushed and said, "I didn't mean _you_ were after him! I'm referring to someone like Voldemort! To Wood, it's like the idea that someone after Harry isn't as important as winning a Quidditch cup!"

Sirius thought that over and said, "You know? I don't like that kid."

**Wood said, ****"****But Black couldn't have bought a Firebolt! He's on the run! The whole country's on the lookout for him! How could he just walk into Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broomstick?"**

"Oh, please," Sirius said proudly. "Rules are meant to be broken. I can find loop-holes anywhere."

"You say that like it's something to be proud of," Minerva said sternly and he only smiled back.

**"****I know," said Harry, "but McGonagall still wants to strip it down —"**

**Wood went pale.**

"Oh, for the love of Merlin," Minerva said in exasperation. "Why do they all act like I just condemned someone to death? We didn't do anything horrible to it but make sure that it was safe."

"Never try to reason with someone whose whole life is about Quidditch," Arthur said brightly.

**"****I'll go and talk to her, Harry," he promised. "I'll make her see reason… A Firebolt… a real Firebolt, on our team… She wants Gryffindor to win as much as we do… I'll make her see sense. A Firebolt…"**

Minerva scoffed… really. Call her old-fashioned… but isn't a student's safety more important than a game?

**Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs. **

Albus smiled at that, glad that Hagrid had at least gained some of his confidence back.

"That sounds like a good lesson," Tonks said brightly. "Now, he's starting to find what works for him."

"Let's hope he keeps it that way," Sirius mumbled darkly. He still hadn't forgiven Hagrid for his past creatures… Fluffy, Norbert, and especially Aragog.

**The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry that he had the shortest life line she had ever seen.**

"Oh, give me a break," Tonks jeered, rolling her now baby-blue eyes. "She's just a little ray of light isn't she? Though I guess that prediction sounded a little more optimistic than usual."

"Why doesn't this surprise me?" Sirius asked grimly as he cracked his knuckles and glowered at the book with a nasty look "You know, I think they get it by now. Why does she keep bugging him like this?"

"He's her last hope for telling a real prophecy," Mad-Eye said lightly as if it was obvious.

"Rubbish," Minerva said. "She could be telling me that I'm going to die someday and that would come true sooner or later."

"Hopefully, much later, Minerva," Albus told her. "Things would never be the same with you gone."

As the others all nodded in agreement, Minerva blushed—half embarrassed, half pleased that they cared so much.

**It was Defense Against the Dark Arts that Harry was keen to get to; after his conversation with Wood, he wanted to get started on his anti-Dementor lessons as soon as possible.**

**"****Ah yes," said Lupin, when Harry reminded him of his promise at the end of class. "Let me see… how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough… I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this… We can't bring a real Dementor into the castle to practice on…"**

"Wait, then what are you going to use?" exclaimed Molly, looking anxious again. "I thought that you were just going to teach him the charm?"

Remus appeared a little uncomfortable and fidgeted slightly until he found his voice. "Well, if I just taught him the charm, there's no guarantee he would've been able to do it when actually faced with a real Dementor."

"But…" she began, trying to find some way to let him know how hard that would've been for Harry but Kingsley interrupted.

"No, he's right," Kingsley said deeply, "When we all first learned the charm ourselves, we learned it without having a real Dementor in the room. We learned the charm so that we could show we knew the theory when we took our exams. But Harry didn't need that. He needed to learn how to protect himself in a very real and very dangerous situation. And the only way of ensuring that he was capable of holding his own was to practice against a Dementor."

No one knew what to say to that. Molly was still looking upset, but couldn't think of anything to say to chance it. Sirius then broke the silence. "Well, I have to say that I'm glad that he did. So he had a little trouble at first… it's not like he was in any danger. But how on earth did you manage to teach him without a real Dementor, Professor Moony?"

"I found a good substitute," he answered. "And yes, I can assure you all that Harry was never in any danger."

**"****Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron as they walked down the corridor, heading to dinner. "What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"**

Tonks and Sirius looked at Remus with concern, who in turn was looking exasperated at how many times they gave him that look. "I'm fine!" he told them. "It was just after a full moon at the time and I was still recovering. I'm not as young as I used to be, and it takes much longer for me to get over it."

**There was a loud and impatient "tuh" from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, repacking her bag, which was so full of books it wouldn't close.**

**"****And what are you tutting at us for?" said Ron irritably.**

**"****Nothing," said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag back over her shoulder.**

**"Yes, you were," said Ron. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you —"**

**"****Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority.**

"Yep," Remus said with a rather grim smile. "She knows my furry little secret."

"We all knew that from the start though," Mad-Eye stated needlessly. "It was all a matter of putting two and two together.

**"****If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.**

**"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off.**

"She's sure not winning her friends back like that," Tonks said sadly. "If she just apologized and explained herself… well, I'm sure Harry would forgive her… Ron on the other hand might need a little more work."

"I really hope this doesn't last long," Molly said bitter her lower lip. "I hate it when they're fighting."

"Yeah," Arthur said. "It's so sad when such good friends can't work things out."

**"****She doesn't know," said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."**

"Ok, now that's a little harsh," said Tonks, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but it was still a priceless present, not to mention the only one I was able to give to Harry since he was a baby! And she's not even sorry!" snapped Sirius.

"Would we all just drop it?!" Mad-Eye shouted, thundering his staff on the floor. "I'm sick of everyone repeating themselves."

**At eight o'clock on Thursday evening, Harry left Gryffindor Tower for the History of Magic classroom. It was dark and empty when he arrived, but he lit the lamps with his wand and had waited only five minutes when Professor Lupin turned up, carrying a large packing case, which he heaved onto Professor Binn's desk.**

"Yes," said Remus, a satisfied smile appearing on his face as everyone looked to him. "Not to toot my own horn, but it was a very clever idea, if I dare say so myself."

"What is?" Tonks said, secretly loving whenever Remus smiled.

"Wait for it," he said and Molly read out:

**"****What's that?" said Harry.**

**"****Another Boggart," said Lupin, stripping off his cloak. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. The Boggart will turn into a Dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."**

"Oh, that _is_ clever," agreed Tonks, nodding to Remus with respect and he blushed at her words.

"But what if Harry…?" began Molly, but Arthur guaranteed her as he took her hand, "It's alright, Molly. Harry's perfectly safe with Remus."

"Damn straight!" Sirius said brilliantly. "This is Professor Moony we're talking about! The man who made wardrobes safe for us again!"

Most of them all laughed at that last part, except for Mad-Eye who was frowning slightly—thinking something over. "That doesn't make any sense," he said and they all looked over at him with worried expressions. Wondering what on earth he had to say now.

"Okay," he said annoyed and his magical eye spun to look at Remus. "Let me see if I got this straight… you just happened to _find_ this Boggart in Filch's cabinet? Do you normally go looking for Boggarts in other people's filing cabinets? Tell me… just what do you think you were doing in Filch's? What were you looking for?"

Remus blushed when he realized that Moody, once again, saw right through him. "I was looking for the Marauder's Map," he admitted looking embarrassed. "I knew that it was confiscated by Filch years ago and I wanted to see it again. But when I couldn't find it, I thought that Filch either destroyed it or someone had stolen it. I should've known that it was the twins who had it."

Sirius clapped his hand on Remus's shoulder and said, "I don't blame you. If it was me, I would've done the same thing. And it was a good thing you were snooping around trying to find it, because you never would've found the Boggart and Harry might not have learned to stand up to Dementors."

Remus gave him a sad look, but it was also grateful for his words as they turned back to the book and Molly was going again.

**"****Okay," said Harry, trying to sound as though he wasn't apprehensive at all and merely glad that Lupin had found such a good substitute for a real Dementor.**

"As the rest of us are," Albus agreed, folding his hands and leaning his chin on them as he listened.

**"****So…" Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated that Harry should do the same. "The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry — well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."**

**"****How does it work?" said Harry nervously.**

**"Well, when it works correctly, It conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "which is a kind of anti-Dementor — a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor."**

**Harry had a sudden vision of himself crouching behind a Hagrid-sized figure holding a large club. Professor Lupin continued,**

Everyone laughed at Harry's imagination. "Nah," Sirius said smugly. "His Patronus is much more impressive." He thought back to the night he returned… for that one night all four Marauders had indeed made their appearances on the grounds. He felt a spark of hope inside him at the thought of hearing about Prongs taking one last ride… he couldn't wait to hear it…

**"****The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon — hope, happiness, the desire to survive — but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."**

"I had to eat my words later that year," said Remus sheepishly. How could he ever have doubted the son of the two most determine and stubborn people he had ever known?

"I bet you did," Sirius let out his trademark bark of laughter.

**"****What does a Patronus look like?" said Harry curiously.**

**"****Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."**

**"****And how do you conjure it?"**

**"****With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."**

Small smiles appeared on everyone's faces as they automatically recalled the memories and feelings that they used to conjure their own Patronuses.

"That part is always the most difficult," Albus said, remembering all the times he was faced with a Dementor and how difficult it was to think of something happy when faced with your worst memories. Especially with the screams of his little sister in his ears… He shook his head, trying to clear it from the despairing thoughts that the Dementors brought with them.

**Harry cast his mind about for a happy memory. Certainly, nothing that had happened to him at the Dursleys' was going to do. **

The smiles were wiped off their faces at once and Sirius's voice had hardened, as he spat out, "Yet just another reason to kill those Dursleys!"

**Finally, he settled on the moment when he had first ridden a broomstick.**

"You mean that's it?!" gasped Molly. "He has no happy memories before Hogwarts? How can that be?" She looked around them all, demanding some kind of an answer.

"Would you if you had to live with the Dursleys?" Sirius snarled, his eyes burning so much that he expected them to turn red and catch fire already.

**"****Right," he said, trying to recall as exactly as possible the wonderful, soaring sensation of his stomach.**

"The first time you fly is a wonderful feeling, but that's not going to work," Tonks said sadly. "It's not powerful enough."

**"****The incantation is this —" Lupin cleared his throat. "Expecto patronum!"**

**"****Expecto patronum," Harry repeated under his breath, "expecto patronum."**

**"****Concentrating hard on your happy memory?"**

**"****Oh — yeah —" said Harry, quickly forcing his thoughts back to that first broom ride. "Expecto patrono — no, patronum — sorry — expecto patronum, expecto patronum"**

**Something whooshed suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like a wisp of silvery gas.**

"Wow, impressive for a thirteen year old," Mad-Eye said a little reluctantly, as if determined to find something to criticize. "Of course there isn't a Dementor in the room so of course he would find it easier."

"But it's still impressive," Albus said smiling serenely.

"You are so negative sometimes, Mad-Eye," Tonks told him.

"Who asked you?" he barked back.

**"****Did you see that?" said Harry excitedly. "Something happened!"**

**"Very good," said Lupin, smiling. "Right, then — ready to try it on a Dementor?"**

**"****Yes," Harry said, gripping his wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted classroom. He tried to keep his mind on flying, but something else kept intruding… Any second now, he might hear his mother again… but he shouldn't think that, or he would hear her again, and he didn't want to… or did he?**

"You don't want to," said Remus quietly. He and Sirius looked at each other, knowing that that this would've been difficult for them, but it had to be even worse for Harry. Sirius's eyes darkened as he thought that over. He could understand what Harry was talking about… it was then he realized that Harry didn't even know what his parents sounded like. He felt as though someone was squeezing his heart. At least Sirius had that much… it was cruel that he got to spend at least ten years with James and Lily, while their own son had less than a year and a half…

"No" Tonks whispered, shaking her head slowly as more tears were threaten to come again and Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle. "Harry won't ever get this right if he doesn't concentrate. And thinking like that isn't going to help him!"

"Why would he want to hear it though?" Arthur asked quietly—not understanding why you would want to hear your parents last moments.

"Most likely because it's the first time he ever heard them," Albus said sadly, which shut everyone else up almost at once. Her bottom lip trembling, Molly went on.

**Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.**

**A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over him —**

**"****Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto —"**

**But the classroom and the Dementor were dissolving… Harry was falling again through thick white fog, and his mother's voice was louder than ever, echoing inside his head — **_**"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please — I'll do anything —"**_

_**"**__**Stand aside — stand aside, girl —"**_

Molly closed her eyes tightly, her voice fading away as she read these words… Lily Potter's finally words… she couldn't stand it. Remus shut his eyes as well as he felt Tonks take his hand and he felt as though a piece of his pain was leaving.

Sirius looked as if every word read out loud was causing him physical pain, which it most probably had. He took a few deep breaths, hating that he had to actually read his friend's last moments, wishing he could throw the forsaken book into the fireplace and burn until there wasn't anything left. Hiding his face in one hand, he listened to Molly read the words as best as her tight throat would allow her…

**"****Harry!"**

**Harry jerked back to life. He was lying flat on his back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. He didn't have to ask what had happened.**

**"****Sorry," he muttered, sitting up and feeling cold sweat trickling down behind his glasses.**

"Sorry?" repeated Minerva incredulously, her own voice thick with emotion. "Why is he apologizing? He just heard his mother's last moments and he's apologizing for fainting?"

"Another thing that he's forced to do while living with the Dursley's," Remus explained. "They blamed him for everything that ever went wrong and he was forced to apologize even when they knew that it wasn't his fault. I think after all this time it became such a deeply ingrained habit that he can't help it."

Sirius's eyes narrowed as he had an image of having all three Dursley's cowering at his feet and begging for forgiveness… Sirius grinned at the thought. They were going to be sorry indeed when he was through with them.

"You don't have to apologize Harry, you did great," Molly cooed as if she thought he could hear her.

**"****Are you all right?" said Lupin.**

**"****Yes…" Harry pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.**

**"****Here —" Lupin handed him a Chocolate Frog. "Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been astounded if you had."**

"He might've if there wasn't a Dementor wannabe in the room with him," Tonks said thinking it over.

"Even Harry Potter has his limits," Remus said wisely.

Albus shook his head. "Don't underestimate youth, Remus. I've taught them long enough to know that they have a gift for surprising us again and again."

**"****It's getting worse," Harry muttered, biting off the Frog's head. "I could hear her louder that time — and him — Voldemort —"**

**Lupin looked paler than usual.**

"Of course I looked paler," Remus said running his hand through his gray hair. "This was torture to hear. And I didn't even hear their voices either!"

**"****Harry, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand —"**

**"****I do!" said Harry fiercely, stuffing the rest of the Chocolate Frog into his mouth. "I've got to! What if the Dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose this game we've lost the Quidditch Cup!"**

Molly's jaw dropped as she shared a startled look with Minerva. "A cup? Is that all he cares about?! He needs to get his priorities straight! Who cares about a Quidditch Cup? That isn't important! Keeping him alive is."

"Harry…" Sirius sighed, shaking his head in half exasperation and half fondness. "That sounds just like something James would say."

"Though I think that it would be better if he chose to learn it for his own safety, rather than for a game," said Albus, his voice a little hoarse.

"Don't try to act like you're all concerned all of a sudden," Sirius snarled under his breath. Until the old man gave him some hard proof that he was truly acting for Harry's safety, _then_ he'll believe the old man cares.

**"****All right then…" said Lupin. "You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on… That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough…"**

**Harry thought hard and decided his feelings when Gryffindor had won the House Championship last year had definitely qualified as very happy. **

"Well, considering the fact he fought a basilisk and won, that would make anyone happy," Tonks snickered.

"Don't remind me," Sirius said. He was having nightmares about his twelve year old godson fighting the monster in a dark chamber all week.

**He gripped his wand tightly again and took up his position in the middle of the classroom.**

**"****Ready?" said Lupin, gripping the box lid.**

The tension in the room returned once they realized what was about to happen. Sirius especially was looking pale at the thought of hearing Lily again.

**"****Ready," said Harry; trying hard to fill his head with happy thoughts about Gryffindor winning, and not dark thoughts about what was going to happen when the box opened.**

Remus grimaced as he bit his lower lip and tightened his hold on Tonks hand. "If he's thinking like that, then there's no way he'll manage it. He needs to focus on his happy memories."

**"****Go!" said Lupin, pulling off the lid. The room went icily cold and dark once more. The Dementor glided forward, drawing its breath; one rotting hand was extending toward Harry —**

**"****Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto Pat —"**

**White fog obscured his senses… big, blurred shapes were moving around him… then came a new voice, a man's voice, shouting, panicking —**

Sirius took in a sharp, gasping breath, and his nails cut into the palms of his hands when he realized what he was about to hear. No… he didn't want to hear this…

Hearing Lily was bad enough…

Sirius was panting; his heart felt like someone was trying to squeeze the life of out it as a terrible emptiness inside him began to grow, filling him and drowning him in pain. Sweat was dripping down his forehead—he looked as if he had just run a marathon. It felt almost as if his head would explode by trying to absorb all this new information. He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to hear the thing that changed everything—the thing that ruined his entire life…

He looked over at Remus who looked like how he felt. He was white-faced and shaking—looking like he was about to faint or burst out in tears. That was certainly how close Sirius was. And sure enough, once he heard the next words…

_**"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off —"**_

"James," Sirius choked out and his hand covered his face as he gasped out for air, trying not to cry anymore, but unable to hold back the devastation…

Remus' head shook slowly from side to side, his jaw clenched, eyes firmly shut—trying hard not to be sick. Tonks wrapped her free arm around him as he began to let the tears fall freely. Everyone had grown pale and their faces were contorted in pain as they heard these words. But nothing was compared to Sirius, who couldn't even look up. James's voice echoed in his mind like an echo, he could imagine his best friend's voice—only scared and desperate—screaming at his wife to take their son and run.

That was something that James would do.

**The sounds of someone stumbling from a room — a door bursting open — a cackle of high- pitched laughter —**

Everyone looked as though they've been turned to stone as they sat there and didn't move a muscle. The two Marauders seemed to be in shock… for they finally knew the final words of their old friend as Voldemort laughed and wiped James's life from his body. If they hated Voldemort before, it was nothing compared to the rage and loathing they felt for him now. There was silence for a moment or so as everyone was self absorbed in their thoughts.

Albus looked over at them and said softly, "Sirius? Remus?" he couldn't say anymore than that. Not knowing how to help to take away the pain that they looked to be in.

"Molly?" Remus said softly. "Do you mind going on?"

She jumped at how weary his voice sounded and Tonks wrapped her arms around him, trying to give him any form of comfort that she could.

**"****Harry! Harry… wake up…"**

**Lupin was tapping Harry hard on the face. This time it was a minute before Harry understood why he was lying on a dusty classroom floor.**

**"****I heard my dad," Harry mumbled. "That's the first time I've ever heard him — he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it…"**

Minerva blew her nose loudly into her handkerchief, fanning her face with her other hand as she tried desperately to compose herself. Kingsley slowly bowed his head and soon everything else had followed suit as tears fell from their eyes.

'_The good die so young_,' Albus thought sadly, thinking of the Potters. Lily and James had both been some of his all-time favorite students, and they were forced to leave this world when they were barely older than 20. His felt a sharp pain in his heart, a terrible ache inside him that he couldn't fill or get rid of when he thought of how their son could end up getting killed as well… even younger than they had been. He shut his own eyes and hid them behind his hand… not knowing what to do.

Alastor was looking at him, he could feel it. He somehow knew that his magical eye was fixed on him. He really hoped that his old friend wouldn't say anything to him, he didn't need to hear from him right now.

Sirius couldn't think of anything else to say and just waited until he could look at anything other than the back of his eyelids without bursting out in tears again. This was a mistake however as the image of his best friend lying dead in the ruins of the crumbling house fell around him—half buried under the rubble and limp as a rag doll with his glass eyes staring up at the ceiling. Sirius always thought he had it bad… but finding out more about that awful night was worse than he imagined. He had always figured that James tried to give Lily time to run, but knowing that it _had_ happened made it all the worse. Sirius gripped his hair tightly, feeling some of it part with his skull… he easily ignored the pain on his head because the pain inside him was far outweighing that. He felt as if he were having a heart attack—it was like finding James's body all over again.

"Of course," Remus's voice, sounding a little closer to normal. "That is something that James would've done… To try and buy Lily time to escape… she and Harry were the most important things in his life, so he would try to give them some time to run to safety."

Sirius could only nod, not trusting himself to speak just yet. He heard a Molly take several deep breaths, trying to compose herself and went on, wanting to get this chapter over with.

**Harry suddenly realized that there were tears on his face mingling with the sweat. He bent his face as low as possible, wiping them off on his robes, pretending to do up his shoelace, so that Lupin wouldn't see.**

"Go ahead Harry, Remus won't mind," Sirius smiled a twisted smile, his cheeks now glistening with tears once again.

**"****You heard James?" said Lupin in a strange voice.**

"Twelve years of buried emotions just came back to the surface," Remus said, answering Tonks's look of concern. "Twelve years after my friend's died, thinking Wormtail died a hero's death, and that Sirius betrayed us all, I was alone. So I tried to bury all my feelings so that I could try to move on in my life."

"And did it work?" she asked quietly.

He thought it over. "Sometimes," he admitted. "I tried hard to keep myself busy. I was less likely to dwell on it than when I was sitting there all alone with nothing to do. The holidays were the worse…"

Tonks felt her heart ache for all the loneliness that the man next to her must've been forced to go through for all these years. Well, she was going to make sure that he wasn't alone anymore. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and he tensed up slightly before relaxing—and she smiled, glad to see that he was getting so comfortable with her.

**"****Yeah…" Face dry, Harry looked up. "Why — you didn't know my dad, did you?"**

**"****I — I did, as a matter of fact," said Lupin. "We were friends at Hogwarts. Listen, Harry — perhaps we should leave it here for tonight.**

"That's probably a good idea," agreed Molly, her voice rather hoarse.

"You know that was the perfect time for you to tell him who you really where," Sirius scoffed—finally finding his voice again, though he refused to look up.

"I didn't lie," Remus explained. "We were friends… but it wasn't like the two of us were as close as close as you two were."

**This charm is ridiculously advanced… I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this…"**

**"****No!" said Harry. He got up again. "I'll have one more go! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is… hang on…"**

Remus grimaced as he muttered grimly. "I forgot who I was talking to… he's got his mother's determination… and his father's stubbornness."

"Scary combo," Sirius agreed.

**He racked his brains. A really, really happy memory… one that he could turn into a good, strong Patronus…**

**The moment when he'd first found out he was a wizard, and would be leaving the Dursleys for Hogwarts! If that wasn't a happy memory, he didn't know what was… Concentrating very hard on how he had felt when he'd realized he'd be leaving Privet Drive, Harry got to his feet and faced the packing case once more.**

"I can't believe that his _happiest_ memory is about him leaving home!" Molly choked indignantly, her tear-filled eyes glaring at the book. "How could that possibly be his happiest memory? There has to be something else? Does he even know how to be happy?"

"I'm going to say… no," Mad-Eye offered helpfully, though he too was looking gloomy.

"I can't believe this," Tonks said shaking her head, her wavy hair turning to a dark blue. "How does he keep going? I would've given up a long time ago."

"He's much stronger than we give him credit for," Sirius said softly. "Though now that I think of it, it's also the reason he suffers so much." Finally, he looked up and glared fiercely at Dumbledore. "I don't want him to go back there. Even if he can't move in here, we can think up a million other safe houses for him!"

Albus looked over at him, and Sirius almost choked in shock to see the levels of sadness staring back at him, as if he had been forced to live through years of hardships and suffering. But when he spoke, his voice was steady. "I already told you we will talk about this later, Sirius. Molly, how much longer is this chapter?"

"We're still a long way off," she admitted and read out:

**"****Ready?" said Lupin, who looked as though he were doing this against his better judgment.**

Albus smiled sympathetically, knowing all too well how Harry had that effect on people when he set a goal and wasn't taking no for an answer.

"If you were doing it against your better judgment," Minerva asked Remus with her eyes narrowed, "Then why were you doing it?"

"He's very convincing," Remus said. Though to be honest it was because he looked so much like James in that second that he couldn't say no. James had been the same way… once he set his mind to something—that was it. It was better to just go along with it until something happened.

**"****Concentrating hard? All right — go!"**

**He pulled off the lid of the case for the third time, and the Dementor rose out of it; the room fell cold and dark —**

**"****EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed. "EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"**

**The screaming inside Harry's head had started again — except this time, it sounded as though it were coming from a badly tuned radio — softer and louder and softer again… and he could still see the Dementor… it had halted… and then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry's wand, to hover between him and the Dementor, and though Harry's legs felt like water, he was still on his feet — though for how much longer, he wasn't sure…**

**"****Riddikulus!" roared Lupin, springing forward.**

Molly let out a shaky breath. "Thank you, Remus."

"Unbelievable," breathed Kingsley, unable to hind the smile that was spreading on his face despite the mood of lingering sorrow. "Just amazing…"

"All right, Harry!" Tonks cheered. "I think we might have discovered Harry's talent."

"That was rather impressive," Mad-Eye stated lightly as Sirius clapped Remus on the back again. "All he needed was a teacher who knew what they were doing."

**There was a loud crack, and Harry's cloudy Patronus vanished along with the Dementor; he sank into a chair, feeling as exhausted as if he'd just run a mile, and felt his legs shaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor Lupin forcing the Boggart back into the packing case with his wand; it had turned into a silvery orb again.**

**"****Excellent!" Lupin said, striding over to where Harry sat. "Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!"**

"I was highly impressed by what he did there," Remus beamed.

Sirius smiled, wiping the last tears from his swollen eyes. He was tired of all this crying. He needed to pull himself together, he had already mourned over James and Lily's deaths and he didn't want anyone to have to do that again.

"I think Snape should take some lessons from you, Professor Moony," Arthur said grinning. "I think that his Occulmency lessons might go better if you did it."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed with another glare at Dumbledore. "Why can't Remus teach Harry?"

"Because, Remus has work to do for the Order," Albus explained. "And besides, when could they meet? Severus is already skilled in this subject, and he is at the castle. It would make sense to…"

But Sirius interrupted again, "Rubbish! I highly doubt that Harry's making any progress with that git torturing him!" He suddenly had a thought and asked, "How do you know that he's not trying to make it easier for Voldemort to get inside his head? What makes you so sure that he's really on our…?"

"I trust, Severus Snape," Albus interrupted firmly. "We've been over this a million time already Sirius. I admit that it is taking longer than I had hoped but I believe that Harry can master it with a little more time."

"He won't learn a thing from, Snape," Sirius repeated. "You read for yourself what he's like! He's no teacher! He resorts to name-calling and threats! You really want someone like that to teach Harry?"

"Gentlemen?" Kingsley's voice interrupted them both. They looked over at him, forgetting that they weren't alone. "Perhaps you can both discuss this on your own time? We still have a lot to read if we want to get this book over with."

Albus nodded, relieved at the change of subject and listened with unusual interest as Molly continued with the chapter.

**"****Can we have another go? Just one more go?"**

"No," said Albus firmly. "If he pushes himself too far, he could burn himself out."

"Wow, that's determination," Tonks said lightly.

"Please don't tell me that you had another go," Molly asked Remus sternly and he laughed, "You're the one with the book. I'm sure you'll get my answer."

Blushing, she turned back to the book and read out:

**"****Not now," said Lupin firmly. "You've had enough for one night. Here —"**

**He handed Harry a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate.**

Sirius glanced at Remus and had to chuckle, "When in doubt, turn to chocolate, right?"

"It's not a chocolate addiction, its Dementor prevention," Remus replied stubbornly. "I've told you a million times already."

"Well, you must be expecting Dementors to attack you on a daily basis," he laughed, feeling so relieved to be able to laugh again. "You carry a chocolate bar with you everywhere you go."

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared," he mumbled, and several others also started to laugh.

**"****Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?"**

**"****Okay," said Harry. He took a bite of the chocolate and watched Lupin extinguishing the lamps that had rekindled with the disappearance of the Dementor. A thought had just occurred to him.**

**"****Professor Lupin?" he said. "If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well."**

Sirius flinched horribly—knowing that this couldn't end well and shot Remus a sad look. He gave him an apologetic one in return and mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.'

Sirius nodded in understanding but couldn't stop himself from asking, "And of course… it all comes back to me. Why did he have to bring that up?"

"He just asked what any kid would've asked," Kingsley said simply.

**Lupin turned very quickly.**

**"****What gives you that idea?" he said sharply.**

"Yeah," Tonks laughed. "That doesn't make you look suspicious at all."

"I was surprised that he knew that," Remus justified.

"When are you people going to get it through your thick heads?" Mad-Eye growled. "Constant Vigilance! Doesn't anyone get it?"

"Apparently, only you Mad-Eye," Tonks finished brightly.

**"****Nothing — I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts too…"**

**Lupin's face relaxed.**

**"****Yes, I knew him," he said shortly. "Or I thought I did. You'd better be off, Harry, it's getting late."**

Remus and Sirius glanced at each other; both looking pained and Remus had to say, "I'm sorry… Padfoot, I can't tell you just how…"

Sirius shook his head and waved his apology aside. "It doesn't matter anymore. You have nothing to be sorry for," he said bitterly. "It's Wormtail who should be."

**Harry left the classroom, walking along the corridor and around a corner, then took a detour behind a suit of armor and sank down on its plinth to finish his chocolate, wishing he hadn't mentioned Black, as Lupin was obviously not keen on the subject. Then Harry's thoughts wandered back to his mother and father…**

"Oh, no," Arthur groaned and everyone else had turned solemn.

**He felt drained and strangely empty, even though he was so full of chocolate. Terrible though it was to hear his parents' last moments replayed inside his head, these were the only times Harry had heard their voices since he was a very small child. **

"I wish he would stop bring this up," Sirius half whimpered. "He's breaking my heart."

**But he'd never be able to produce a proper Patronus if he half wanted to hear his parents again…**

**"****They're dead," he told himself sternly. "They're dead and listening to echoes of them won't bring them back. You'd better get a grip on yourself if you want that Quidditch Cup."**

Minerva shook her head. "Of course. He thinks so logically about his emotional problems all because of Quidditch."

"I don't care how he does it," Sirius stated. "As long as he stops brooding over it."

**He stood up, crammed the last bit of chocolate into his mouth, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.**

**Ravenclaw played Slytherin a week after the start of term. Slytherin won, though narrowly. **

"I'm willing to bet you anything that they cheated," Sirius said firmly.

"Ok, Sirius," Minerva said exasperated.

**According to Wood, this was good news for Gryffindor, who would take second place if they beat Ravenclaw too. He therefore increased the number of team practices to five a week. **

Several mouths dropped open at that line and for a second, weren't sure what to say to that. "_Five times a week_? I thought Fred and George were joking when they told me how crazy their captain was."

"That's not just crazy," Tonks said shuddering at working so hard like that. "That's obsessive! I don't think even the professional players do that!"

**This meant that with Lupin's anti-Dementor classes, which in themselves were more draining than six Quidditch practices, Harry had just one night a week to do all his homework.**

**Even so, he was not showing the strain nearly as much as Hermione, whose immense workload finally seemed to be getting to her. **

"And the fact that her best friends were ignoring her," Tonks added sadly. "I hope they all snap out of it soon. This is depressing me."

"Wonder how they made up," Arthur asked.

**Every night, without fail, Hermione was to be seen in a corner of the common room, several tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes; she barely spoke to anybody and snapped when she was interrupted.**

"She's trying to do too much," Albus said forlornly. "And this is why we normally don't allow the students to take every subject."

"And why did you make an exception for her?" Molly demanded both teachers. "If you both knew how hard it would be, why did you allow it?"

"She kept insisting she knew what she was getting into," Minerva replied. "Believe me, I tried hard to turn her away. I told her how much work was going to be involved, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She was a model student and truly seemed to want to continue all these classes. I only agreed if she promised to try and drop a few subjects if it gets to be too much for her to take."

"Still," Molly grumbled. "I think that there should've been some way to talk her out of it."

"Look at it this way," Kingsley said. "At least she has a normal timetable now. After a year like this, I bet she won't be so eager again."

**"****How's she doing it?" Ron muttered to Harry one evening as Harry sat finishing a nasty essay on Undetectable Poisons for Snape. **

"Which the git marked him unfairly I bet," Sirius said. Considering how_ 'fair' _the slime ball treated his godson in class, it was only safe to guess that he would grade him the same way as well.

**Harry looked up. Hermione was barely visible behind a tottering pile of books.**

**"Doing what?"**

**"****Getting to all her classes!" Ron said. "I heard her talking to Professor Vector, that Arithmancy witch, this morning. They were going on about yesterday's lesson, but Hermione can't've been there, because she was with us in Care of Magical Creatures! And Ernie McMillan told me she's never missed a Muggle Studies class, but half of them are at the same time as Divination, and she's never missed one of them either!"**

"So many classes, so little time… only Hermione would try a schedule like that," Arthur sighed.

"She really is taking too many classes," said Remus worriedly. "It's only going to be a matter of time before she snaps and does something out of frustration."

"But how is she doing it thought? It's impossible to be in two places at once!" protested Sirius as others in the room shared dark glances at each other.

"No, it's not impossible," said Minerva grimly, "Complicated, but possible."

"What?" he asked. "Ok, I'm not sure how much everything's changed since I was sent to Azkaban… but unless they found a way to clone yourself or make it possible to sit in two classes at once, I don't see how she can do this."

"We'll sure to find out by the end of the book," Remus assured him. If what he thought was true, then they were sure to find out exactly what happened that night.

**Harry didn't have time to fathom the mystery of Hermione's impossible schedule at the moment; he really needed to get on with Snape's essay. Two seconds later, however, he was interrupted again, this time by Wood.**

**"Bad news, Harry. I've just been to see Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt. She — er — got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch first."**

Molly gasped in genuine disbelief. "He didn't really say that did he?!" she exclaimed, looking up at Minerva who's face had gone sour.

"He really did say that…?" Sirius said incredulous that the Gryffindor captain would say something like that. "I know that there's nothing wrong with the broom… but you think he would have just a little more concern for the player who already won him so many matches."

"He's another one who needs to get his priorities straight," Arthur said shaking his head in disbelief.

Most of the others looked angry and Minerva said "Looks like I might've made a mistake making him captain."

"Ya think?" Tonks asked sourly. "If he cares more for winning an old silver cup than the lives of his teammates, then I would want to quit."

**Wood shook his head in disbelief. "Honestly, the way she was yelling at me… you'd think I'd said something terrible. **

Minerva laughed despite herself. "Only, Wood wouldn't understand that what he said was terrible."

"Idiot," Mad-Eye declared gruffly.

**Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it…" He screwed up his face and imitated Professor McGonagall's severe voice. "As long as necessary, Wood"… I reckon it's time you ordered a new broom, Harry. There's an order form at the back of Which Broomstick… you could get a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, like Malfoy's got."**

"No, he will get the Firebolt back in time and still kick his butt," Sirius said sternly.

**"****I'm not buying anything Malfoy thinks is good," said Harry flatly.**

"You tell 'em Harry!" Sirius beamed. "Show them all!"

**January faded imperceptibly into February, with no change in the bitterly cold weather. The match against Ravenclaw was drawing nearer and nearer, but Harry still hadn't ordered a new broom. He was now asking Professor McGonagall for news of the Firebolt after every Transfiguration lesson, Ron standing hopefully at his shoulder, Hermione rushing past with her face averted.**

**"****No, Potter, you can't have it back yet," Professor McGonagall told him the twelfth time this happened, before he'd even opened his mouth. "We've checked for most of the usual curses, but Professor Flitwick believes the broom might be carrying a Hurling Hex. I shall tell you once we've finished checking it. Now, please stop badgering me."**

Sirius shook his head. "He has guts, badgering you over and over again like that."

"Never stopped you from trying," Remus recalled and Sirius grinned.

"Call it a force of habit bugging those in charge," he finished.

Kingsley on the other hand suddenly thought of something. "Brooms have registration numbers don't they?" he asked and they all looked at him. "That means, if nothing else, you could've easily find out the shop that sold it, as well as at least some information about the sale transaction."

They all stared at him—none of them ever thought of that. It would've made things much easier for them if they thought of that. Though now that he brought it up, it was clearly the obvious thing to do.

"Well," Mad-Eye said, polishing the top of his staff with a sleeve. "At least someone here uses their brain."

**To make matters even worse, Harry's anti-Dementor lessons were not going nearly as well as he had hoped. Several sessions on, he was able to produce an indistinct, silvery shadow every time the Boggart-Dementor approached him, but his Patronus was too feeble to drive the Dementor away. All it did was hover, like a semitransparent cloud, draining Harry of energy as he fought to keep it there. Harry felt angry with himself, guilty about his secret desire to hear his parents' voices again.**

"He is making remarkable progress though," Kingsley said deeply. "It could just be that he's trying too hard. He needs to relax and think clearly to get it to work."

Albus looked sad as he said, "And there is nothing wrong with him wanting to hear his parents. It's not his fault that he wishes to find some way to connect with them."

Sirius sighed. He could understand completely why Harry wanted to hear them again. While he was in Azkaban, there were plenty of times he would've given anything to speak with James and Lily just one more time… even for just a minute… so that he could tell them how sorry he was and maybe look for some forms of forgiveness.

**"****You're expecting too much of yourself," said Professor Lupin, sternly in their fourth week of practice. "For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?"**

"And that's something. Remus doesn't give praise unless you really deserve it," Sirius said brightening up. Which means that Tonks must deserve it from all the times he complement or praised her. Now, if only Professor Moony would wake up and admit that he was head over heels in love…

"You were right, Remus, that's a huge achievement in such a short time," Tonks nodded to him smiling. "He's expecting too much of himself and not giving himself a break."

"Well James always hated not being the best at something… as did Lily," Remus remembered fondly. "So Harry has to have some kind of determination streak in him."

**"****I thought a Patronus would — charge the Dementors down or something," said Harry dispiritedly. "Make them disappear —"**

**"****The true Patronus does do that," said Lupin. "But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the Dementors put in an appearance at your next Quidditch match, you will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground."**

**"****You said it's harder if there are loads of them," said Harry.**

**"****I have complete confidence in you," said Lupin, smiling.**

"As do we all…" whispered Albus.

Sirius smiled over at Remus, glad that there was someone to help with Harry's confidence… or lack thereof.

**"****Here — you've earned a drink. Something from the Three Broomsticks. You won't have tried it before —"**

"Sure," Sirius said sarcastically. "He never had any before. I think you forgot who he had for a father, Remus."

Remus chortled. "Yes… but I also remembered who he had for a mother… I guess it's not easy to forget that Harry's not either of his parents."

**He pulled two bottles out of his briefcase.**

**"****Butterbeer!" said Harry, without thinking. "Yeah, I like that stuff!"**

"Oops," Sirius said laughing.

"Idiot," Mad-Eye stated. "He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut."

**Lupin raised an eyebrow.**

**"****Oh — Ron and Hermione brought me some back from Hogsmeade," Harry lied quickly.**

**"****I see," said Lupin, though he still looked slightly suspicious.**

"You can't lie to Remus, Harry," Sirius sighed, nudging Remus's foot with is toe. "He's a marauder… he knows every trick in the book… heck, he even made up quite a few of them."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. If I recall correctly, you and James wrote the book for mischief," Remus stated calmly though he inwardly chuckled. He'd grown up with James' and Sirius' excuses and lies, so yes he could easily tell when someone was lying.

"Of course you do. You snuck out with us enough times, to know that," Sirius laughed.

"Did you suspect Harry snuck out?" Tonks asked him.

Remus chuckled at her and answered, "I have a few ideas… but it's not his fault. He had James for a father, so of course sneaking out would be in his blood. At least he doesn't pull pranks or sneak out every night like James did."

"You hear that?" Sirius suddenly asked, putting a hand to his ear and listening for something.

They all went quiet, trying to hear whatever Sirius heard but they couldn't hear anything other than the sound of all of them breathing.

"What?" Molly finally asked.

"I don't hear anything," Minerva agreed.

"Exactly," Sirius said grinning. They stared at him as if worried for his sanity and he elaborated. "Normally when we talk about James—Snape always spoils the mood and spews out insults. Isn't it nice not to have him here?" he said smiling at the silence.

"That's mean," Tonks stated, though she too was smiling. Yes, the mood was much better and there were less arguments with him gone.

"We should do this more often," Sirius said brightly as the others rolled their eyes at him.

"Whether Severus chooses to come or not, is entirely up to him," Albus confirmed.

"Oh, spoil my good mood why don't ya?" Sirius barked at him, suddenly irritated again.

**"****Well — let's drink to a Gryffindor victory against Ravenclaw! Not that I'm supposed to take sides, as a teacher…" he added hastily.**

"I'm afraid that it is an ingrained habit wanting my House to win," Remus reasoned with a small smirk.

"Sure Remus," Arthur grinned. "You're not taking any sides here."

"Why not?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "I mean, it's not like Snape doesn't take sides at all."

**They drank the butterbeer in silence, until Harry voiced something he'd been wondering for a while.**

**"****What's under a Dementor's hood?"**

Sirius shuddered, suddenly grim again. Why can't he just stay in one good mood for a while instead of switching back and forth constantly? "Why did he have to ask that?"

**Professor Lupin lowered his bottle thoughtfully.**

"You aren't really going to answer him, Remus?" Molly asked anxious. "For goodness sake, it's not like he needs to know it!"

"Better he finds out from someone he trusts rather than first-hand experience," Mad-Eye explained and they all went cold at the thought.

**"****Hmmm… well, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the Dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon."**

**"****What's that?"**

**"****They call it the Dementor's Kiss," said Lupin, with a slightly twisted smile. **

"You were smiling?" Sirius croaked horrified.

"I wasn't smiling at the idea!" he said loudly. "I just find it ironic to give a name to something so horrible, with something that's supposed to have special meaning. A kiss is supposed to be something special… and if you're kissed by a Dementor, then it's all over for you."

Tonks shuddered and punched his arm lightly. "Did you have to sum it all up like that?"

**"It's what Dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and — and suck out his soul."**

**Harry accidentally spat out a bit of butterbeer.**

**"****What — they kill —?"**

"No," Moody said gruffly. "But I think that would be better."

**"****Oh no," said Lupin. "Much worse than that. You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no… anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever… lost."**

Another shudder ran around the room again—none of them were able to imagine such a terrible fate… soulless and empty.

**Lupin drank a little more butterbeer, then said, "It's the fate that awaits Sirius Black.**

Sirius looked nothing short of terrified at the thought: his eyes looked like black coals against his stark white face, his lips pressed tightly together as if trying hard not to be sick while his arms folded across his chest as if hoping that he could keep his soul inside. He always knew that was his fate if he was caught, but to actually hear the words…

They all, Remus especially, looked devastated when they saw how scared Sirius was.

"Don't worry, it will never happen," Tonks said immediately.

"Yeah…" Sirius gulped quietly, trying to calm himself down, he would rather anything else happened to him than have his soul sucked out like that. He froze as he remembered how close he came to it.

"Sirius, I promise it will not happen," Albus said firmly.

There was just something about the conviction in Dumbledore's voice that seemed to bring him back and for a second, it made him forget that he was still angry with the Headmaster. "Right," Sirius said and blinked. "That's right…"

**It was in the Daily Prophet this morning. The Ministry have given the Dementors permission to perform it if they find him."**

**Harry sat stunned for a moment at the idea of someone having their soul sucked out through their mouth. But then he thought of Black.**

**"****He deserves it," he said suddenly.**

Everyone stared at the book, once again in shock at those three little words printed in black ink.

Sirius leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes tightly as pain racked his whole body again. He was having trouble controlling his emotions. Minerva and Tonks looked simply stunned, Arthur's mouth was slightly open, and even Mad-Eye looked startled by what Harry had said. No one could say anything to that at first. Molly was the first to break the silence.

"HARRY POTTER!" Molly suddenly roared causing them all to jump, and Tonks to actually slip off her seat and onto the floor. "THAT'S JUST… I CAN'T BELIEVE HE WOULD… NO ONE DESERVES SUCH A THING TO HAPPEN TO THEM! HOW COULD HE…?"

"He didn't mean it!" Albus explained quickly as Tonks found her way back to her seat, muttering curses under her breath. "He was angry and upset and was left brooding over it for all that time—we all say things that we don't mean when we are hurting or angry. He was upset because he thought Sirius was the reason that he didn't have parents anymore. But I'm sure we can all agree that it's the completely the opposite thing now."

He looked over at Sirius and said gently, "I know that he loves you Sirius. You are the closest thing to a parent he has. And I now that he would never want anything to happen to you now that he knows the truth."

Sirius smiled weakly, that thought warming his broken heart. But still the idea that Harry once wanted him to lose his soul was unbearable for him to hear. He really needed to talk to him…

**"****You think so?" said Lupin lightly. "Do you really think anyone deserves that?"**

"How can you be so calm about this?" Tonks asked him amazed and a little jealous.

"I always try to stay in control of my emotions," Remus muttered sadly. "And I wasn't aware that Sirius was innocent at the time. But I do now…" He looked at Sirius, and they both shared an invisible understanding… one where they would never doubt the other again. Arthur sniffled once before Molly read on…

**"****Yes," said Harry defiantly. "For… for some things…"**

"He's a kid," explained Remus quickly. "He didn't understand or know the truth. He's just as hot-headed as Lily was—but he doesn't believe anyone deserves that fate—and we know this because he did safe his cousin last summer."

That thought alone was enough to cheer Sirius up. Yes, Harry was just angry when he said that, he wasn't thinking clearly… if he risked his own soul to safe the soul of someone who made him suffer for most of his life then he must believe that. Sirius finally raised his head and felt as if his heart had grown lighter as they continued.

**He would have liked to have told Lupin about the conversation he'd overheard about Black in the Three Broomsticks, about Black betraying his mother and father, but it would have involved revealing that he'd gone to Hogsmeade without permission, and he knew Lupin wouldn't be very impressed by that. **

"No, he wouldn't," Sirius said wisely. "Especially since he'd done that many times while he was there."

"Yes, But he didn't know that did he?" Remus asked politely.

**So he finished his butterbeer, thanked Lupin, and left the History of Magic classroom.**

**Harry half wished that he hadn't asked what was under a Dementor's hood, the answer had been so horrible, and he was so lost in unpleasant thoughts of what it would feel like to have your soul sucked out of you that he walked headlong into Professor McGonagall halfway up the stairs.**

**"****Do watch where you're going, Potter!"**

**"****Sorry, Professor —"**

**"****I've just been looking for you in the Gryffindor common room, Well, here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all — you've got a very good friend somewhere, Potter…"**

"YES!" Sirius cheered punching the air above him. "Finally! He got it back!"

"I said he did," Minerva said coldly, hoping to hear the end of it.

**Harry's jaw dropped. She was holding out his Firebolt, and it looked as magnificent as ever.**

**"****I can have it back?" Harry said weakly. "Seriously?"**

"I think he meant to say, Siriusly," Tonks corrected with a grin and Sirius laughed and everyone else groaned at the old joke.

"It would be appropriate," he agreed.

**"****Seriously," said Professor McGonagall, and she was actually smiling. **

"How does they do it?" Sirius asked her. "He and Hermione can get you to smile? How? I've spent years trying to get you to do that."

"Maybe because they don't need to go out of their way to cause destruction," she answered, her eyes thin

"Hmh," Sirius huffed. "Touchy."

**"I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you? And Potter —do try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night…"**

"And the last thing we want is to make that greasy git anymore smug," Sirius whispered to Remus and Tonks and they both had to bite down their laughs.

**Speechless, Harry carried the Firebolt back upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. As he turned a corner, he saw Ron dashing toward him, grinning from ear to ear.**

**"****She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen, can I still have a go on it? Tomorrow?"**

**"****Yeah… anything…" said Harry, his heart lighter than it had been in a month. "You know what — we should make up with Hermione… She was only trying to help…"**

"Figures it would be Harry to say that," Tonks said, rolling her eyes.

"I still say that's what they should've done from the beginning," Molly scolded. "So she made a mistake… everything she did, she did to try and protect her friend."

**"****Yeah, all right," said Ron. "She's in the common room now working — for a change."**

**They turned into the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and saw Neville Longbottom, pleading with Sir Cadogan, who seemed to be refusing him entrance.**

"Come on!" Tonks called loudly. "He's supposed to be doing his job and let the Gryffindors in!"

**"****I wrote them down!" Neville was saying tearfully. "But I must've dropped them somewhere!"**

**"****A likely tale!" roared Sir Cadogan. Then, spotting Harry and Ron: "Good even, my fine young yeomen! Come clap this loon in irons. He is trying to force entry to the chambers within!"**

**"****Oh, shut up," said Ron as he and Harry drew level with Neville.**

**"****I've lost the passwords!" Neville told them miserably. "I made him tell me what passwords he was going to use this week, because he keeps changing them, and now I don't know what I've done with them!"**

Sirius's eyes widen as he shared a quick, guilty look with Remus, who understood what had happened to the list of passwords.

**"****Oddsbodkins," said Harry to Sir Cadogan, who looked extremely disappointed and reluctantly swung forward to let them into the common room. There was a sudden, excited murmur as every head turned and the next moment, Harry was surrounded by people exclaiming over his Firebolt.**

Sirius was grinning broadly again. Looks like the depressing part of the chapter was finally over with.

**"****Where'd you get it, Harry?"**

**"****Will you let me have a go?"**

**"****Have you ridden it yet, Harry?"**

**"****Ravenclaw'll have no chance, they're all on Cleansweep Sevens!"**

**"****Can I just hold it, Harry?"**

"Good going, Sirius," Kingsley said calmly. "You just gave Harry even more attention."

"Ah, but it's the good kind of attention!" Sirius retorted happily.

**After ten minutes or so, during which the Firebolt was Passed around and admired from every angle, the crowd dispersed and Harry and Ron had a clear view of Hermione, the only person who hadn't rushed over to them, bent over her work and carefully avoiding their eyes. Harry and Ron approached her table and at last, she looked up.**

**"****I got it back," said Harry, grinning at her and holding up the Firebolt.**

**"****See, Hermione? There wasn't anything wrong with it!" said Ron.**

Molly scowled. "You're supposed to be apologizing, not saying 'I told you so' Ronald!" She looked at her husband and asked, "Do any of our children have any tact?"

Arthur shrugged back. "Bill does… and Charlie… though I think that has to do with the fact that they're older and more mature. I'm sure that Ron will be more tactful when he get's older."

**"****Well — there might have been!" said Hermione. "I mean, at least you know now that it's safe!"**

**"****Yeah, I suppose so," said Harry. "I'd better put it upstairs."**

**"****I'll take it!" said Ron eagerly. "I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic."**

Sirius's eyes narrowed with distaste, just like every time that damn rat was mentioned. Oh, he hoped that rat tonic tasted disgusting.

**He took the Firebolt and, holding it as if it were made of glass, carried it away up the boys' staircase.**

**"****Can I sit down, then?" Harry asked Hermione.**

**"****I suppose so," said Hermione, moving a great stack of parchment off a chair.**

**Harry looked around at the cluttered table, at the long Arithmancy essay on which the ink was still glistening, at the even longer Muggle Studies essay ('Explain Why Muggles Need Electricity') and at the rune translation Hermione was now poring over.**

"Why does she need to know about electricity?" exclaimed Tonks incredulous. "I mean, she already knows what electricity's used for from growing up with Muggles!"

"I think it's a very interesting essay," Arthur said cheerfully and they all had to chuckle along with him at how eager he was.

**"****How are you getting through all this stuff?" Harry asked her.**

**"****Oh, well — you know — working hard," said Hermione. Close-up, Harry saw that she looked almost as tired as Lupin.**

Sirius stared from the book to Remus and then back again. "That can't be healthy." He broke off as Remus glowered at him and explained, "Oh, come on. You really have to work hard to stay healthy, Moony. And if Hermione looks like you on a bad day, then we know she isn't taking care of herself."

"Thanks," Remus said causing everyone else to laugh and he added in an afterthought. "But I have to agree with that… she's doing too much."

**"****Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?" Harry asked, watching her lifting books as she searched for her rune dictionary.**

**"****I couldn't do that!" said Hermione, looking scandalized.**

"Gosh, Harry," Tonks asked with sarcasm. "Honestly, just who did you think you were talking to?"

"Oh yes," Sirius insisted, just as sarcastic. "Who needs sleep or regular meals anyway?"

**"****Arithmancy looks terrible," said Harry, picking up a very complicated-looking number chart.**

**"****Oh no, it's wonderful!" said Hermione earnestly. "It's my favorite subject! It's —"**

"I have to agree that it is a wonderful subject," Minerva stated. It had been her second favorite class while she was still a student… second only to Transfiguration of course.

**But exactly what was wonderful about Arithmancy, Harry never found out. At that precise moment, a strangled yell echoed down the boys' staircase. The whole common room fell silent, staring, petrified, at the entrance.**

"Oh, no," Molly said worriedly. "Now what happened?" She then read on much faster…

**Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder — and then Ron came leaping into view, dragging with him a bedsheet.**

"Great, this must be when the rat tried to fake his death again," Sirius muttered darkly under his breath. The werewolf's sharp hearing was able to pick it up and barely inclined his head in agreement. Oh, this wasn't going to end well for the trio…

**"****LOOK!" he bellowed, striding over to Hermione's table. "LOOK!" he yelled, shaking the sheets in her face.**

"What is he doing?" Tonks asked, now worried that Ron might've lost his mind as most of the others all looked anxious at his behavior.

**"****Ron, what —?"**

**"****SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"**

Sirius groaned, "He's talking about that bloody rat!"

**Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Harry looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was something red on it. Something that looked horribly like —**

**"****BLOOD!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence. **

"I guess he's really a bloody rat now," said Mad-Eye conversationally as Molly and Arthur both glared at him.

"That rat was his pet!" Molly said loudly.

"Yeah," Mad-Eye said. "And us getting upset about it will make a heck of a difference won't it?"

Rather than answer, she kept reading.

**"HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"**

**"****N — no," said Hermione in a trembling voice.**

**Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Hermione and Harry leaned forward. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Molly said bitterly, not at all sorry for the end of her turn and put the book down. "Yet another depressing chapter."

"How much you want to bet that Granger is going to be blamed and yet another fight will happen between them?" Moody asked with a yawn.

"It wasn't her fault though," Minerva retorted.

"People don't think like that when their pets are involved," Albus said. "Hagrid is a prime example."

"It's an old rat though. If you ask me he was just put out of his misery," Tonks whispered as Molly stood up.

"It's late afternoon," she said as she brushed off her robes. "How about I make us some lunch and we can continue a little later?"

"Unfortunately," Albus said regretfully as he also stood up. "We cannot stay. I agree that lunch is an excellent suggestion—however I think that Minerva and I should return to Hogwarts and to make sure that Umbridge hasn't gotten suspicious or put up any more Educational Decrees while we have been gone."

"We'll meet up with you in a couple hours," Minerva agreed as they both followed Molly down the stairs. Mad-Eye muttered something about needing to go somewhere and also left while Tonks skipped after them, tripping over a chair, and leaving Kingsley to have to catch her before she fell. He then looked back at Sirius and Remus and asked, "You both coming?"

"In a minute," Remus said with an anxious look at Sirius who had turned icy. Kingsley looked from the two of them and nodded, obviously understanding that they needed to talk. They all left, leaving the two friends alone.


	18. The Patronus Challenge

**Ok, first, I would like to thank everyone who joined in my Patronus Challenge. I've finally finished the results and believe me, it wasn't easy. I've come up with a list of some of the most common animals I could think of. Look though this and see if you can find which animal represents you. Hope I got it accurate enough and let me know what you all think. We'll be getting back to the story as soon as we can.**

**The Patronus Challenge **

**ALLIGATOR**** – You are like these ambush predators. These creatures are self-serving and can take care of themselves. They have great patience—able to lie and wait to attack—and when they do, it's lightening fast and completely out of nowhere. But watch out. These people are capable of being dangerous and destructive when angry.**

**ANT**** – You are like these tiny little insects and may not seem much on your own, but once you get with others, you are part of a force to be reckoned with. You are stronger than most and cooperation best with others**.** You may have a tendency of insecurity and doubt about your own role in life… but don't worry about it. You may seem small, but you are an important member of the team. **

**APE**** – You are like our closest animal relative, they aren't that different from us in a way. In fact, they love to "ape" someone, being a copycat instead of being themselves.** **However, they are a form of strength, loyalty, and self-sacrifice… and have a talent for "monkeying around." You find that jugglers, pranksters, dancers, or singers often have this Patronus. You know how to have fun in life!**

**Armadillo**** – You are like our strange friend the armadillo. The armadillo is most well-known for its armored shell and you are capable of curling up in a ball to protect yourself. Those with this Patronus have a tendency to be aloof, and have a self-concerned existence, often times taking care of yourself and thought of as selfish and arrogant. But are also a representative of detachment and objectivity. Armadillos love to dig and burrow with their sharp, little claws. They are masters at "hide-and-seek" as well as superior at finding whatever is hidden. You love searching, discovering, and getting to the "root" of the matter. Or, maybe it's time to dig under the surface of some things that have been nagging you?**

**BADGER**** – You are like the symbol of Hufflepuff! The badger stops at nothing to get what it wants, and is persistent in their pursuits. You are a stubborn, strong-willed badger that always finishes what it starts. The badger is also fiercely independent and can be quite aggressive when threatened—you are always able to stand your ground and make your presence known when the situation calls for it. Although small, the badger commands attention from friend and foe alike. You stand up and let the world know you are here, and mean business! The badger is a unique creature, well equipped to meet all the challenges it faces. It lives its life quite effectively and although its methods might seem unorthodox, the badger doesn't care what the rest of the animal kingdom thinks about them. In short, you will "walk your own path at your own pace." **

**BAT**** – You are like the flyer of the night. Let's face it, the bat isn't the most popular of animals. In fact, it's largely misunderstood and so therefore feared. But seeing the bat with fear in the heart would be the same as being terrified of your teddy bear. Ridiculous. The bat is highly sensitive to their surroundings and so therefore you are capable of intuition, dreaming and vision. You have great "night-sight" and are able to see through illusion or ambiguity and dive straight to the truth of matters. Indeed, the bat has strong family ties. They are very nurturing, exhibiting strong verbal communication, touching, and sensitivity to members of their group. Sometimes you can be overly sensitive to the feelings of others… would love to have you for a friend!**

**BEAR**** – You are like the bear. You are someone who can crush another with just a look or a word. Although omnivores, the bear prefers an ordinary diet filled with sweet snacks like berries. Further, the bear seems heartily content to languish in sunny spots where it can stretch and snooze in leisure. You like to be agreeable, mellow, and easy-going on a good day. Hibernating is just your idea to save energy. You can be larger than life and no one questions you because of your determination for rearing up strong results. However, there is an unfathomable power surging just beneath the surface of the bear that is potentially explosive. You have an imminent domain, and when that space is altered, you are fully prepared to defend. Woe be to the one who provokes you when that happens. In this powerfully impressive display of defense and aggression, those with this Patronus changes from a sweet teddy to a roaring warrior. **

**BEAVER**** – You are like our big-toothed friends. You are devoted to home. You work hard and aren't happy unless you are doing something useful. You love your family and work tirelessly utilizing "life's" opportunities in a industrious way.**

**BEE**** – You are like the busy bee. Bees value teamwork, diligence and a sense of order. You are seen to be brave, chaste, industrious, clean and want to live harmoniously with others. You work hard to keep everything running smoothly, but also ready to fight to the end if you have to. You are prepared to give it your all to protect what you love. These are all amazing qualities… but you need to also learn to look after yourself as well as others. You're often too busy to really enjoy life, loosen up and have fun for once. **

**BIRD OF PARADISE**** – You are a beautiful bird in all ways, you have extravagant and elaborate thoughts. You're special, and you know you're special, but often times, you forget that you're not better than everyone else. You are beautiful, inside and out, but don't let all the praise go to your head. **

**BLACKBIRD**** – You are like the blackbird. These birds robed in black do not give up their secrets easily. You love to sit back and watch us all try to figure you out. You don't trust easily, and when you do find someone that you feel like you can confide in, you don't like giving up your secrets unless you are sure they won't go and tell anyone else. It's good to be cautious, but you need to learn how to trust a little more.**

**BLUEJAY**** – You are like the noisy bluejay. You are a talkative creature and have no problems voicing your opinions. You spend most of your time talking, and use it to your advance. You have a gift for speech and can use it to inspire and help others. Sales people, lawyers, politicians, public speakers, and teachers often have this Patronus. Indeed, your speech abilities are so advanced, you often feel that you're wasting your talents by letting others do all the talking for you.**

**BOAR**** – You are like the big-tusked boar. You always go charging in head-first. You've got a spontaneous personality, and have a reputation of being an aggressive animal. You have unflinching courage and ferocity as well as having military courage and strength. But with this personality, you often scare others away. Maybe learn to be a little kinder when you make up your mind?**

**BULL**** – You are like the earthbound bull. You bulls may have a tendency of being narrow-minded in the business world… however, this can be a positive situation as you are a driving force. You are full of stubbornness and "bullheadedness". You are known to be clumsy earthbound, tenacious, and powerful. But you are surprisingly graceful for someone who's supposed to be like a "Bull in a China Shop."**

**BUTTERFLY**** – You are like the embodiment of renewal and rejuvenation… the butterfly. You have the ability to bounce back from setbacks or disappointments, and turn it into something positive. You have a talent for turning something plain into something beautiful. You love nothing more than changes and hate it when things stay the same for too long. You know when to come out from the cocoon and see the world.**

**CAMEL**** – You are the humped camel. You are known for being stubborn and a beast of burden. You are enduring, but you come with a bad attitude. You are often arrogance and full haughtiness. But you can also be obedient, persistent and persevere no matter what happens. Learn to lighten up and be more patient.**

**CANARY**** – You are like the sweetest little thing. You are sweeter and gentler than most birds. You love nothing more than to sing for the enjoyment of others. You're a brilliant yellow that draws everyone's attention. You trust easily and enjoy praise when you deserve it. Just watch out for the puddy tats… **

**CARDINAL**** – You are a shock of red, especially against the stark backdrop of winter snow. You remind others of passion, warmth and vibrancy that we all have—even in under the cloak of winter's grey clouds. True to your fire-red color, you've got some major spunk. You are known to fight aggressively to defend your territory, and fight attackers with ferocity. But at the same time you are capable of glorious songs, you are a delight to both eyes and ears. It reminds us to hold ourselves with pride – but not ego pride. Rather, you try to stand a little taller, be a bit more regal, step into your natural confidence as if you were born to lead with grace and nobility. **

**CAT**** – Ok, you are a very independent nature just like a cat. You are very good at uncooperativeness and isolation, often leaving others to clean up as you take pleasure from that. But you are full of good and bad points. You can be both constructive and destructive. You are stoic, silent and mysterious; and as you gaze on the world you have a depth of knowledge that no one else can understand. Cats themselves are quite resourceful and are flexible. Often, you like to shake up your normal routines and make some fresh changes in your life, as well as be more creative in your thinking. Cats can also be quite aloof, and this often causes you to distance ourself from people or situations. The cat often gets a bad reputation because of it's mysteriousness. You're difficult to fall for false beliefs, and you're not a fool out of ignorance as you derive understanding from your own internal wisdom. You show us all that when we turn within to our own hearts, minds and souls, and trust in ourselves we will always be shown the truth of matters. **

**CHICKEN**** – You are full of fear or reluctance to face situations like a chicken. You're more likely to run from your problems than face it. You are full of timidity and often look to others for protection. Learn to face your fears instead of just turning and running for the nearest way out.**

**CHIHUAHUA**** – (dog) You are a tiny little dog with a big dog personality. You may seem petite but you know what you want and are willing to take it by force. You are tough with a loud voice and can stand up for yourself. You find it hard to trust, but when you do, you want to be with those you love all the time.**

**COCKERSPANIEL**** - (dog) You were born to be a companion, a faithful friend, and have good associations. You are cute as a button and it's hard to say no to someone like you. You can use this to your advance, but please, don't let that go to your head. You're number one priority is to care for your friends which you do fiercely. **

**COLLIE**** - (dog) Yet another faithful friend, you are like lassie. When you see someone is blocking the way for someone you love, you stand in and put a stop to injustice. You are strongest when you are protecting a large group of friends and family. I want you as a friend if I ever fall in the well.**

**COUGAR**** – You are like this quiet, big cat. You are full of strength and wisdom and spend your days waiting in a warm sun and let the world go by. As long as you get want you need, you are content. **

**COW**** – You are compassionate, and good at expressing your emotions as a cow is. You are a natural mother and want to take care of everyone who needs it. You can be tough when you have to be, but much prefer to tend to others than raise your voice. **

**CRANE**** – If there is one word that describes you, it is inquisitiveness. You are graceful and gentle as you move along the water and watch the world with bright curiosity. Don't waste this. You are a born scholar and poet. You need to speak out more and say your mind. Maybe you can make a big difference. **

**CROCODILE**** – You have many qualities like alligator and that's no croc. You have the patience of a saint and fast as lightening. But you're also good at "Crocodile Tears." You are good at lying… watch out. You do it too often no one will believe you when you do tell the truth.**

**DALMATIAN**** - (dog) You are a one of a kind traveling companion. You are made for long trips and can see the right and wrong of any situation, the positive and negative sides, the faithful and unfaithful.** **But you do have a thing of making a high interest in materialism. Learn to let go and focus on what's important.**

**DOE/STAG**** – You are like the deer. Boy or girl, you are a compassionate, gentle and loving person. If you are feeling negative emotions such as anger, try letting go. Think about whether a gentler and more loving approach can sort the issue out. It may be necessary to speak the truth, this is best done with kindness and from the heart, this will generally give a better result. Even when grazing, mother deer's are constantly watchful, fully aware and alert of what is going on all around them—mindful of the fragile creature they nurture and protect. They can hear a twig snap a very long way off. People with this Patronus are often swift and alert. Deer's teaches us to be gentle, to touch the hearts and minds of wounded beings who are in our lives. Don't push people to change, rather gently nudge them in right direction, with the love that comes from deer. Love and accept people as they are. **

**DOLPHIN**** – You are like our water loving mammals. Dolphins are intelligent and human-friendly. You are playful and love everyone just as everyone loves you. When you enter the room, everything brightens up. It's hard to look at you and NOT smile. You make everyday just a little bit brighter for everyone. But as winning as your personality is, you look out for your own. You are known to help others and watch if those you love are in trouble. You can also hold your own if you are cornered by trouble—being one of the few things that can scare a shark! **

**DONKEY**** – You are as stubborn as a mule! You are very independent—perhaps a little too much. You have a stubborn personality, and reluctance to be persuaded to another's ideas. You kick out with such force that everyone knows when you aren't happy. Maybe you could be a little more understanding? **

**DOVE**** – You have a peaceful nature. You are one of the most symbolic birds there is, you are like living love and tenderness. You bring hope to those around you and seem to have come straight from heaven. You are pure… hard to find any trace of darkness in you. You are truly a beautiful person… inside and out.**

**DRAGON**** – There is only one word for someone like you… untamed. When angered, you can become a violent primeval creature that can only be stopped with strength and discipline. But at the same time, you stand for activity and life. You aren't all about destruction. You just have to learn to control your temper… and learn to let go instead of guarding treasures.**

**EAGLE**** – You are like the symbol of brilliant Ravenclaw! This creatures is full of self-confidence, intellectual freedom, pursuing unconventional concepts or issues… you love your freedom with responsibility. You can triumph over darker forces with ease. You stand up for justice and won't take no for an answer.**

**ELEPHANT**** – You are a strong beast with long lasting memory and memories. You have a natural generous and outgoing nature as well as your great strength. But if angered, you can easily lose it completely and something often gets destroyed if you do. You are a good person, but others watch out when you flip your lid. **

**FALCON**** – You are a trained bird of prey. You fly higher and faster than any other. You can be deadly and precise… to be honest, you can scare as well as inspire. You're razor vision can see even the tiniest detail from far away, which means you can spot even the smallest mistake before you swoop in and take action. You are faster than the eye can see when you go in for the kill, and you never miss your target… fly free.**

**FOX ****– What else can you be but a trickster? You are full of cunning, trickery, and shrewd as (what else but a fox?) You are a brilliant fire-red and shine out from all others. You are easily recognizable and people love to watch you work your magic. You know how to sneak around and fight back. Foxes are known for getting out of danger and getting what they want, you know how to do the same. **

**FROG**** – You might not think you are good enough… but you are like the frog. The kind you kiss and become a prince. One day you too will go through a transformation. Until then, you remind us that simple gifts can be enough and have the most meaning.**

**GERMAN SHEPHERD ****- (dog) Loyal and fierce. You know how to get a job done. These dogs are the main choice for police dogs and there is a reason for that. They are one of the strongest and most loyal dogs you can have. Once they bond with someone, they will give their all to protect that person.**

**GIRAFFE**** – With that neck you can see above everyone else. While others can only see tiny details, you are able to see the greater picture and focus more on what's to come than the here and now. But you put too much distance between heart and head, too much emotion and not enough reason. **

**GOAT**** – You are often used as a "scapegoat" for others. Don't stand for that! You are best placed as the nurturing nature… standing alongside sheep and watching out for them in the nativity picture. **

**GOOSE**** - You are in great need for more seriousness in life. Usually you want to spend time being silly and lazy. But you can still be quite inspiring. The goose would never leaves one of its own kind behind, and that is how you are when push comes to shove. Geese annually migrate to warmer climates during the winter. Should a goose become injured during this trek, another goose will leave the migrating flock to stay with its fallen comrade. The goose will stay with the injured until he has recovered or until its final breath. Nothing silly about that. **

**HARE/RABBIT**** – A sweet little bunny… constantly vigilant but easily frightened when faced with a problem. But they are self-sacrificing when they are cornered and prepared to fight till the last to escape. Very passionate… and values family above all else.**

**HEN**** – There is nothing more protective, patience, highly susceptible to outside influences, and panic over nothing like a mother hen. You are a born motherly figure and panic when your "chicks" are out of your sight for too long. You need to learn to let go and let your "chicks" spread their own wings… even if they can't fly.**

**HERON**** – You are a graceful being and contented as long as you can do some high flying in good weather. You are curious, sometimes a little too curious for your own good and stick your beak in places where it doesn't belong. People often say that trouble is your middle name… you need to focus on your own problems before you can go and bug others about theirs. **

**HIPPOPOTAMUS**** – More people are killed by hippos than sharks every year and there's a reason for that. Hippos are extremely territorial and will charge at the first sign of uninvited guests. People want to get to know you, but you're hot head often drives them away… learn to control your temper and share with them. **

**HORSE**** – You of course have the "wild" nature. The horse is capable of quick starts but panics easily when something suddenly happens. You often have trouble controlling and redirecting your emotions. You are very competitive, and have a desire to be better or faster than others, a desire to get ahead. You have high energy, full of uncontrolled strength, an untamable spirit and long to run free. **

**HUMMINGBIRD**** - the tiniest of all birds – you are very special. The hummingbird is the only creature that can stop dead while traveling at full speed. It can hover, or can go forward, backward, up or down. You find joy in your own heart. You take great pleasure in spreading joy and love and beauty to all around you, and have the gift of taking that inner joy into new and different surroundings. You have a talent for finding the good in people, and are not put off by a gruff or abrupt exterior, for you know that, if you can only get beyond that tough outside layer, you'll find goodness inside. To restrict that wonderful, free, loving energy is to suffer great depressions and feelings of uselessness. Hummingbird must fly free in search of beauty, spreading joy and love to all it touches.**

**HYENA**** – You lack seriousness, greed, or a vicious nature. You're someone who waits for the leftovers instead of going in and getting the good stuff. A scavenger one might call you. You prefer to let others do the job and then take over once the hard work's been done. But you do love to have a good laugh… at other's expense. Once the hyena finishes eating, it just sits there and laughs. Harsh…**

**KANGAROO**** – You are known to be over-protective, or jumpy. While you are good at long endurance, you aren't very patient. You worry over everything and want things to go smoothly, and panics if something goes even the tiniest bit wrong. Relax! No one wants a worrywart fussing over them all the time. Let others do what they have to and just be readying to help them should something go wrong.**

**LAMB**** – You are so good. You are so pure and are so full of light that no could ever bring themselves to think that something bad could happen to you. You are sweet in every way and naïve in the world of hardships. You expect others to take care of you and look after you during bad times. But you are sometimes TOO naïve. You have a tendency to trust EVERYONE. Don't. There are plenty of bad influences around you, and you need someone to follow. Be careful who you let to be a role model.**

**LEECH**** – A freeloader, you don't have any self-respect and responsibility and loving it. You live off others and make things difficult for them. Some would swear that you're sucking their blood right out of them. You need to get off the couch and start making something of yourself because you might not always be able to live off others.**

**LEOPARD**** – You are born to be resistant. You are valiant and a hardy warrior—ready for any action. You are stealthy, shrewd, solitary and loyal only to a select few that you love and trust. Even though the leopard is the smallest of the big cats they will consume almost any animal they can hunt down. You know how to take care of yourself and aren't afraid to get your hands dirty.**

**LION**** – You are like the noble symbol of Gryffindor! You are full of strength of character, military valor, tremendous energy, and authority. However, the roaring lion can mean that you have a deep anger and temper – But you are also good. You are a natural leader, intelligent, and noble. A lion can be one extreme or the other, either a symbol of destruction or a model for a hero. **

**LIZARD**** – You love new changes, but want them to happen gradually. It takes time for you to get used to new and you often long for the old days. When the lizard loses its tail, it grows right back… but it's nowhere near as good as the original.**

**LYNX**** – Full of vision, rapid cleverness, mental alertness… you are one cool cat. Nothing catches you off guard and you like a good challenge. You also have a playful nature and enjoy a good time when you don't have any responsibilities at the moment. You can overcome anything given enough time and if you go at your own pace.**

**MAGPIE**** – You are a little chatterbox. This bird is the symbol of happiness and good fortune when they sing. When you speak people might need to listen to what you are trying to say with more attention. You can speak your mind clearly, speak up, express your opinions, be creative with your spoken words. But you also have an obsession with shiny things… in other words, you tend to chase after false ideas or perceptions and not just material objects. You might want to re-evaluate your priorities. Are you chasing after unsuitable desires or serving a false ideal? Think about what really matters.**

**MALAMUTE**** - (dog) You are the kind of dog that can stand on their own and even help ease the burdens of others. But you often go so fast that you often make mistakes. Go a little slower when dealing with important things.**

**MONGOOSE**** - You are small, cute, and can kick butt. You are often under-estimated and people tend to look passed you—don't let your appearance hold you back. You may not look like much, but when you're backed into a corner, you show your teeth and claws. You are actually really deadly and pack a punch… I mean, how many other creatures can fight one-on-one with a cobra and come out on top?**

**MONKEY**** – You like being immature and having fun. But you are surprisingly wise for your years. People love you not just because you're a good time, but because you are clever and can speak the truth. **

**MOUNTAIN LION ****- The mountain lion is a symbol of liberty, vigilance, and courage. Mountain lions are pure carnivores that live and hunt alone except for mothers with cubs. You are agile, strong and sometimes you seem to become almost invisible as you blend with your surroundings. You are a leader… balancing intention, strength and responsibility. You usually are reclusive and usually avoid people, so when you do get angry, you rarely hurt anyone. **

**NIGHTINGALE**** – You're just like the plain looking nightingale. You may not look like much, but don't judge on appearances. Even the name of the bird stands for poetry and song. You are as pure as they come… and you are capable of the most delicate and loving thoughts and poetry ever spoken. Don't ever forget that you are a diamond in the rough.**

**OWL**** – You are full of wisdom, knowledge, have heightened observational skills, thoughtful, brooding, and aware of everything. You often prefer to use judgment in your life. You are always vigilance and have acute wit that can get you out of any trouble. You eyes just seem to stare into the very souls of others and can see everything they try to hide. No one can hide anything from you.**

**PANTHER**** – You believe that caution is necessary. Besides from being a savage and cunning animal, you have superior fighting courage compared to others. A female panther is considered especially dangerous. She is often seen fiercely guarding their young, to whom she is tender and loving. People often say that you have a split personality. One moment, kind and gentle—the next… a vicious monster. You need to learn to balance the two.**

**PARROT**** – You are like a colorful parrot. You repeat what others say. You like to babble on and on, but unfortunately you aren't very original or good at coming up with your own thoughts. You need to stop taking ideas from others and learn to think for yourself.**

**PEACOCK**** – This colorful bird is often full of arrogance stands for self-love. The males especially enjoy strutting about and prides himself on his appearance and gazes haughtily about. But if you can learn some humility, others will be able to see the beauty of your true colors.**

**PEGASUS**** - (The flying Horse) As wild as a horse, and flies as high and free as a bird. You have a gift for overcoming obstacles, surpassing all expectations to reach above and beyond the goals that others expect. You don't do what others tell you and go by your own rules once you learn to break free and soar.**

**PELICAN**** - Are you intent upon a goal, or some treasure you desire? You do like the pelican does and perch yourself in an advantageous position, and observe the resources that come your way. You take the time to form relationships with people in your community with a goal to establish that will benefit everyone. These birds are group fishers. They come together as a group and hunt their food together by beating their wings on the surface of the water, moving the fish to surface waters on the other side where another group of pelicans lays in wait to scoop up the fish in their pouches. To be sure, the pelican known for their group-efforts made in order to identify and capture resources. **

**PHOENIX**** – You have a personality who bounces back from adversity and refuses to be defeated. Because it is consumed in fire only to rise from the ashes, it represents resurrection and new beginnings. You believe in second chances and want to give them to others while at the same time you refuse to accept failure to be an option. Every waking for you is a new day, a new beginning...**

**PIG**** – You are someone who takes more than you need. Pigs are considered to be unclean, ignorant and have voracious appetites, as well as an emblem used in mockery… but they are also honorable and generous as well as being notably intelligent. Pigs are omnivores with a reputation for gluttony. Wild pigs forage mainly for leaves, grasses, seeds, and berries. But at the same time they love to be needed and feel best when everyone around them is smiling. They see only the best in others and may be exclusive in their friendships. They are nice to a fault and have impeccable manners and taste. Pigs care a great deal about family and friends.**

**PORCUPINE**** – They have a tendency to unconsciously defend themselves when they try to obtain their personal goals. You are the type of person who irritates others, instinctively defending against new ideas, relationships, or situations. You are able to protect yourself, just as real porcupines use their ability to sting those who attack it directly with its quills. You are able to deal with enemies both at a distance and near at hand.**

**RACCOON**** – You are a bit destructive. Everything you seem to touch somehow ends up breaking… even if you don't mean it. You can also break in and out of anything and it drives everyone else crazy. There is a reason why raccoons have black masks… there are no better thieves… you might have some sticky fingers… you might need to learn how to control that. **

**RAM**** - The male sheep are said to be aggressive, strong toward progress, but to squander love and energy. You are gifted with speaking. You can get anyone behind you but people often question your motives. You often seem to have a hard of stone—you need to learn to feel and show emotion. You have strength, vitality, and unwavering determination… but you need to let others in.**

**RAT**** – Do I really need to say it? You are like the rat. You are cowardly and won't hesitate to turn you back on others. You do what it takes to survive and are clever and quick-witted, sometimes deceiving others or getting others in trouble ("ratting on them"). Rats are used extensively in lab tested for products and behavioral training. They are hoarders, but also generous to those in their "pack" of friends.**

**RAVEN**** - If you think that ravens are symbols of ill omen, death or other gruesome turns of thought, look elsewhere. There are plenty sources to feed macabre minds, and malign the raven. They are scavengers (and curious to a fault), but raven's intelligence is possibly its most winning feature. Indeed, these birds can be trained to speak. This speaking ability leads into the legend of ravens being the ultimate oracle. In fact, the raven is often heard to cackle utterances that sound like "cras, cras." The actual word cras is "tomorrow" in Latin. You may be different, but you do things at your own pace and get the job done. You are intelligent, and work so hard to stand out that people often forget that. Let them know what you're thinking.**

**ROBIN**** – Robins tell the coming of Spring, a new beginning, a new opportunity. The red robin is like the symbol of spring. Robins are one of our first visual signs from the animal kingdom that the return of warmth is on its way after a long winter haul. This is a time for celebration! Your songs are the first to return to the skies, little buds on trees are ready to burst open, and the spring flowers are poised for blooming. You help others to remember that no matter how cold winter is, spring will always come. Don't ever forget that you bring people hope.**

**ROOSTER**** - You are as vibrant and diverse as the rooster's plumage. You can fan out with brilliance, and show the world your shimmering facets of personality. You are a protector and screech out warnings in times of danger. You take your job seriously and are always ready to call out for help should something terrible happen.**

**SAINT BERNARD**** - (dog) You are a helpful friend and guide. If others are in danger, you are there to find them and bring them back. You love unconditionally, and always find a way to forgive. People love you and hope that you won't ever change. Being tough and mean doesn't work for someone like you. Bringing back those lost and helping them find the right path is what you do job.**

**SCORPION**** – You are someone who will retaliate if crossed. You often have thoughts of destruction, mystical, illumination, healing, and resurrection. You are all about change and triumph in whatever you put your mind to. You always want to shred your old skin and find something new to keep you entertained. **

**SEA TURTLE**** – Slow and steady is the way you get things done. You go at a slow pace and make sure that things get done, and done right. You don't care about all the changes in life, you prefer to do things that you are familiar with and it takes a long time for you to get used to something new. But still, you are in for a long life filled with many long days spent doing what you want. **

**SEAL**** – You have a charming personality. You love to play and enjoy life as you go with the flow. You want to do things your own way and take it easy as others work harder. Others are rigid and break easily under pressure, but you are able to bend and will never break. You don't like to stray too far from things that you find familiar and safe… you want someone to be with you all the time. You are a people person.**

**SKUNK**** – People know right away not to cross you. You are all for justice to prevail and loath when anyone gets away when they do something wrong. You are a bit of a "by the numbers person." You give plenty of warnings to others to do the right thing, but once you are pushed too far, you know that something has to be done. Maybe you could learn to step a toe out of line and not live your life by a rule book? **

**SLOTH**** – You a slow and lazy individual. Often procrastinating on important projects or responsibilities. You need to toughen up and get moving or else this is going to cause a lot of problems later on. You're just letting the whole world fly by and aren't paying any attention as you sleep all day. Get with the program and get out once in awhile!**

**SNAIL**** – Here you have a wary attitude. You are almost self-sufficient because just like the snail, they carry around their own houses and have all its own belongings with it every moment. You have some steady footing and stability. But like the sloth you can be viewed as slow-moving and lazy. You need to get out and enjoy life! Get busy once in awhile and enjoy being active.**

**SNAKE**** – You are the symbol of Slytherin! Snakes… they can and will attack or retaliate with vengeance, often thought of as temptation or evil, though it can also represent wisdom. You are good with sneakiness or treachery such as a 'snake in the grass'. You have both right and wrong thoughts, you just need to know the wisdom of knowing the difference. **

**SPARROW**** – You are like the high-flying sparrow. You have a gentle nature and are an intellectual person. All too often people take you for granted. Small though you may be, you are certainly powerful. It is your slightness in size that gives you advantages. You remind others that we do not have to have the big stuff (cars, houses, etc.) to be important and happy. And we don't have to have the loudest voice in order be heard. **

**SPIDER**** – You like to pull strings like a puppet master. You are a control freak… you need to be in control at all times; the moment you aren't, that's when you become dangerous. You are capable of weaving a web or set others into falling into traps. Be careful however that you don't become entangled in your own web.**

**SQUIRREL**** – You are resourceful, and are able to deal with change quickly, the ability to rise above danger and the peace of life in the woods for those who are ready to retire from a more strenuous life. You always prepare carefully for the future (winter), but always has time to play! **

**SWAN**** – Beautiful swans represent dreamy depths and feelings. Swans can live harmoniously amongst three of the four elements. Grounding on earth, lofting to great heights in the air, and winding through waters with magnificent elegance. Swans mate for life, and are never seen far from each other. They remind us of love and to always find blessing in our relationships. While they are beautiful, you better watch out. They are quick to temper and protect what's there fiercely. They are silent… but dangerous. Mislabeled from birth, you may seem like the ugly duckling but you live with the heroic heart of a swan. Indeed, after growing strong under some nurturing hands, you will see your reflection for the first time in a reflective pool of water to discover that you will be "transformed" into a lovely swan. **

**TIGER**** – You are aggressive, emotionally unpredictable, and a competitive nature. However, you also have great power and energy that you use to bring down any prey. The strength of the tiger combined with feline stealth make this animal a fearsome enemy but a tremendous ally. The tiger is the largest "big cats" and are probably the most dangerous. Tigers generally live alone, requiring large ranges for hunting—you need to learn to share what's yours if you don't always want to be alone.**

**UNICORN**** - The unicorn is one of a very few mythological creatures that are known in all traditions. The unicorn is universally beautiful, mysterious and difficult to capture or tame. This is you. Very few people know the "real" you. You have the kind of unbreakable spirit that can never be tamed. Your best qualities are your virtue, courage and strength. **

**VULTURE**** – An unusually greedy and aggressive individual, usually with overeating. You deal with the element of air, and air is symbolic of the mind, thoughts, and intelligence. The vulture is a master navigator of the winds and reminds others that if things don't work out the first time, you might need to "go back to the drawing board" before trying again. You are very patient with yourself, and think things through as they make sure of how you feel before you enter the arena of your plans. Vultures coast air currents for hours, waiting for the perfect time to descend upon a tasty treat. **

**WEASEL**** – Weasels have the ability to escape without harm. You are known for chastity, as you can escape any problem in one piece. But don't become over-confident. You need the support of your friends and family to be able to deal with even the hardest of obstacles. **

**WHALE**** - Whales are associated with compassion and solitude, and knowledge of both life and death. You are also associated with unbridled creativity. You almost spend more time daydreaming instead of focusing on what's around you… While you have free use of creativity, you can also teach others how to use creative energies more conservatively. Try to show others what's going on in your mind instead of just dreaming of what could be.**

**WOLF**** – You are naturally clever and evasive. You are good with cunning and gratification. You are always alert caution—having valiance over the all your surroundings. Wolves rely on their endurance to outrun prey; so you can keep going even when others have given up. You are almost a teacher to others… instructing others in their daily lives and all the troubles that go with them. The lessons that you teach are not always easy to swallow, but nevertheless necessary. You are full of spirit and care for every member of your "pack" like family—you are always there to watch their backs. You have the ability to make quick and firm emotional attachments, and often need to trust your own instincts. You try to teach others to do the same… you show others to trust their hearts and minds, and have control over their own lives.**

**ZEBRA**** – You are always living with good/evil, right/wrong polarity of life's events. You are an individual, with beauty, honesty and free will. Your stripes have to do with the integration of opposites that are always going on in you… thus enabling you to see the deeper truth and both sides of any situation. You are able to maintain your individuality in group settings and helps others to be supportive members.  
**


	19. Slipping Away

**Chapter 16: Slipping Away**

"In a minute," Remus said with an anxious look at Sirius who had turned icy. Kingsley looked from the two of them and nodded, obviously understanding that they needed to talk. They all left, leaving the two friends alone.

Remus turned to Sirius, who was now lying flat on his back with his feet up on the couch, and a hand over his eyes, like he was trying to go to sleep, but couldn't seem to shut his own eyes on his own.

Sirius was trying hard not to look at anything… or rather looking at anything but him anyway. The madness of being trapped here at Grimmauld Place was mounting more and more with every second until he felt like he was a volcano ready to blow at any second. He was craving a mission… a way to help the fight against Voldemort… or at the very least have a drink…

Not for the first time, and most likely not the last, he wished that Harry was still here with him—he was longing for the summer holidays to start so that he could have a chance to speak to Harry about all this without worrying if the mail was being intercepted or not. And after he made sure that Dumbledore wouldn't take Harry away from him again, of course.

And also, for the first time he could really appreciate what Molly was going through… he finally found something he had in common with her… they both missed the kids. Along with an unsaid not of fear that seemed to linger in the air… Voldemort. Just how much longer will Hogwarts be safe? And who ever said that it WAS safe in the first place? After reading these books, he highly doubted that Hogwarts had EVER been safe. Especially for his godson…

He groaned as he forced himself to sit up and glared at the wall across from him. Harry was _his_ responsibility and it felt like a thorn in his side whenever anyone doubted what _he_ thought was best for _his _godson. Harry shouldn't even be worrying about being safe anyway! He should be focused on getting a girlfriend and playing Quidditch. How did things get so complicated for him?

Sirius missed so much, and he knew full well, that he won't ever get any of it back. Which brought up another important question… Harry was fifteen now… was the teen getting too old to need him? All these years Sirius was supposed to have raised him as his own if something happened to his parents… but really—Harry never had anyone there for him like Sirius should've been. In all honestly, it seemed like the kid was more than capable of taking care of himself. All Harry needed was to be watched for 2 more years before he legally became an adult. And all Sirius's hopes about catching the rat was surprisingly low, even for him.

He couldn't decide what was worse—all his anger at Wormtail, his guilt at ever trusting the rat, his shame of being stuck in this house while everyone else was out fighting, his fear that something was going to happen…

"Sirius?" he suddenly heard Remus's voice ask as if he was listening to a badly-tuned radio. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"You want the laundry list or me to sugar-coat it?" Sirius asked bitterly, not bothering to look at him as he descended even deeper into the bowels of misery.

"First off, I'm trapped in this living hell of a house with a mad elf and a screaming portrait of my mother, and feeling useless not being able to do anything stuck here. While I'm failing miserably to keep the promise I made to my best friend to take care of his only son 'cause even though I'm now "free"," he made air quotes in the air around free. "I can't even send him one lousy letter thanks to that toad Umbridge. I've lost all my charming good looks, along with most of my health," he ran his hand over his sunken face. "And to top it all off, I'm reading a book about all the suffering my godson had to go through because of my mistakes—and I don't care what you say!" he added when he saw Remus open his mouth to interrupt.

"I don't care what anyone says anymore," Sirius snapped as he got up and headed for the door. "Years of cold misery and despair are finally taking their toll. It's hard to think up anything good after all that."

Sirius was almost through the doorway before he looked back at Remus's sad looking face and had to ask, "Do you think that I'm really going mad?"

"Compared to what?" Remus asked quietly, his lips twitching slightly, though still looking overcast as he came forwards but stopped a few feet away from him. "You want me to be honest or just say something to take your mind off matters?"

Sirius thought this over and then finally said, "Just tell me? It's not like I care or anything anymore though."

Remus was quiet for a minute before he put his hand on Sirius's shoulder and led him down the stairs."I don't think that you're crazy. But I don't think you're all _there_ either…" Remus admitted. "I'm worried that all this self-pitying you're doing is causing you to slip even further away from us. After these last few months trapped here at Grimmauld Place, I can't help but think that it's like… like something's broken inside you. No, not broken… gone. It's almost as if you've become empty. Like the very core of the person you used to be is no longer there and just vanished—leaving behind this vacant shell. And you're not even bothering to try and take care of yourself anymore."

Remus pointed to Sirius's beard that was starting to grow in. "You haven't bothered shaving for a long time have you? And last I've checked, you've been wearing those robes for the last week… and I know that it's bad if you don't even want to brush the hair that was once your pride and joy?"

Sirius ran his hand over his chin to feel the long whiskers growing there and the other through his matted mass of hair on his head just as Remus said, "Besides all that, you aren't eating right. You've been having nothing but Firewhiskey and leftovers for awhile. Now, you know that can't be healthy. I have to agree that you're not in the best of health after all you've been through these years…" Sirius just watched his feet as they reached the bottom landing.

"But you getting drunk every night with hangovers every morning isn't going to help," Remus said. "Do you really want to try and destroy yourself here?" He waved one free arm around the dark hallway, though he wasn't expecting an answer as the question hung ominously in the air. Remus ended saying sadly, "I'm not trying to lecture you, Sirius. But we're all worried about how this is all affecting you."

That's all Sirius wanted—pity. Just how much more pathetic could he get? His thoughts when back to Harry. Thinking back to the last time he saw him last Christmas, back to when the kid was looking happy. He thought that over and remembered how pale and distressed-looking his godson had been for those first few days after Arthur's attack. But then, once Hermione arrived and the four of them disappeared for a few hours, Harry brightened up. Maybe he wasn't completely alright, but he was definitely happier.

When was he ever allowed to be that happy? Now, whenever he thought of the boy, he could see four different people at the same time. He could see a young, unhappy teenager with a great weight on his shoulders, a hardened fighter ready to fight to the death if he had to, a shadow of James pranking spirit, and the tiny baby that he used to play hide-n-seek with. Sirius groaned as he rubbed his forehead; it felt like he was about to be sick, a part of his guilt eating away inside him, waiting to break out and kill someone. Well, he hoped that if he couldn't control that urge to kill someone, he would have the Dursley's fat heads between his hands.

"Look," Remus's voice called to him as if far away again. Remus couldn't stand seeing you tear yourself up because of that rat. "We've been over this a million times already. We didn't know who to trust and…"

"Yeah," Sirius said gloomily. "And I picked the wrong person."

Remus fought the urge to slap him in the head and said, "We were all suspicious of everyone. It was all happening so fast and every day, things just seemed to be getting worse. Sirius, please stop beating yourself up about this."

"But…" Sirius tried to interrupt, but Remus wasn't having it.

"No!" Remus said in a cold and firm voice. "I am sick of you beating yourself up about the past. Just believe me when I say that you've more than suffered for believing in that rat; we all have for not believing in each other."

Sirius turned away and punched the opposite wall in his anger. "That disgusting rat!" he hissed. "No matter how many times I play it in my head I can't figure out where it all went so wrong. It wasn't supposed to be this way. How could he do this to us? We were supposed to be his friends! Do you think he was ever our friend or not?"

"Yes," Remus said immediately, but this time his voice was coated with sadness. "We were once his friends in school. But once we left… I don't know… he must have gone to Voldemort for power or protection—something like that. We were the strong and powerful ones at Hogwarts who hardly ever lost, and he wasn't used to being on the losing side. Everything changes once you leave school and go out into the real world. I guess once he did and saw just what a dangerous place it is, he decided that he would do whatever it took to keep himself safe and alive."

"Coward," Sirius growled venomously. "Were were all ready to fight to the death for him, and he couldn't keep his fat mouth shut for his best friends."

Remus sighed, "That's enough, quit feeling sorry for yourself. We all know the truth, so just snap out of it already, you're supposed to be the strong one. It really scares me to see you like this."

He put one arm around his shoulders and led him back downstairs. "Come on, Padfoot. Forget about it for now. If we don't hurry, we won't have a chance to try any of Molly's food."

_*Albus*_

Albus barely ate anything after they returned to the school; he merely picked at his food, lost in thought. It didn't take long before he could think of why he wasn't hungry. He knew that Sirius had lost most—if not all—of his faith in him, and most likely so has everyone else who had been reading these books. Albus wanted to defend himself, to explain exactly why he had done what he'd done. But he knew that he couldn't. He knew that even after all these years; the real reason was that he still felt he needed to atone for the mistakes he made in the past.

How could he not? It stood out so vividly in his mind that it was as if it happened yesterday. His unbearable guilt still weighed heavily on his heart, forever reminding him of his mistakes. How long has it been since that day? At least a century now… perhaps more. Back then his heart had been clouded with a lust for power… he came up with such terrible ideas with Grindelwald that only fueled his former best friend to do unspeakable horrors. Albus brought unhappiness to more lives than one. He felt that something had to be done… was that why… trying to ensure Harry's future was his way of clearing his guilty conscience or was it just out of instinct?

Was Harry his last chance at hope for himself? His very last chance of redeeming his errors? Albus didn't know anymore… all he knew for sure was that it was far too late to earn forgiveness even after all this time. After all, no one knew exactly who it was who had killed his sister.

In fact he would like to believe that maybe Harry can set things right. A boy like him who inspires loyalty and courage to so many… he could show the way for all those people whose lives that have become lost. So many are still waiting for their new beginnings… a chance at life beyond war… even Albus himself.

He looked up at his heads of Slytherin and Gryffindor to see that they were speaking rather stiffly to each other at the end of their table. Albus knew that Minerva was informing Severus everything he missed so far in the book. But from judging Severus's expression, Albus's hopes of having the Potion's Master rejoin them didn't look high. He sighed as he went back to his own dark memories.

Meeting Grindelwald, Albus couldn't help but feel as though he had been doomed from the very start. Not that it mattered anymore. Albus had been determined to live as quiet a lifestyle as much as possible.

Albus's more recent mistakes concerning Harry was making him wonder how it all went so wrong. He always believed that he had made the right choices concerning Harry. That placing him at Privet Drive would keep him safe from Voldemort and any stray Death Eaters until he was older… that ignoring him all last summer was to give him a break from the Wizarding world and the war. That not even looking at him all year was to less tempt Tom to try and use that connection against them.

As a wise Muggle once said, 'Where ignorance is bliss, knowledge is a curse.' Did he sacrifice too much of Harry's happiness for the sake of keeping him alive? Or was he now risking Harry's safety by trying to keep him in the dark? Dumbledore really hoped Harry could forgive him when he finally worked up the strength to tell the boy the truth.

He put down his fork next to his plate of uneaten food and got up to leave… not even noticing Umbridge's toad-like eyes watching his every move.

_*A little later*_

Back at Grimmauld Place there was a small party going on as Remus, Sirius, Tonks, Kingsley, Molly, and Arthur all sat around the table talking and laughing all afternoon as Sirius got into the kind of drunkenness he haven't felt in a long time. Not the kind that came from a drink, rather the happy mists of warmth and enjoyment.

Usually when he drank alone, it was so that he wouldn't focus on any bad memories for too long, but this was different and much better. It was easy to forget all the bad times as they all sat there enjoying lunch and told jokes and tales. They all laughed so hard they could almost have choked on their Butterbeer. After a while, Sirius looked up to see Remus and Tonks talking happily together… and he couldn't help but notice Remus's smile.

He grinned as he took another sip. He could count on one hand just how many times he'd seen that blissful smile for himself, and even then, it didn't shine like it was doing now. Like those two were in their own little world…

Sirius waited until dinner was over before he cornered Remus and said brightly, "Now it's your turn to be honest with me."

"What?" Remus looked up at him in surprise as he insisted to Molly that he would clean up and the others headed back to the drawling room—wondering when Mad-Eye and the teachers would come back.

"I'm worried that all this self-pitying you're doing is causing you to slip even further away from us," Sirius said, repeating the words that Moony himself had said only a few hours ago. "Or rather, what you're _letting_ slip out of your grasp."

He nodded his head to the door to where Remus thought that Tonks had already gone through.

"It's nothing new, Sirius," Remus answered coolly. "I'm used to not getting what I want and it doesn't bother me anymore. And besides, I made up my mind that I'm not good enough for her. Look at me…" he gestured to his scared face and shabby clothes. "I've got nothing that she would want."

"That doesn't seem to matter to her," Sirius said lightly. "You know as well as I do that Tonks likes that scruffy look to someone. Besides, I've said it before, you have the patience of a saint. Tonks needs someone who can put up with her clumsiness and her loud opinions."

"Sirius," Remus warned. He didn't deny it, but shook his head sadly.

"Never thought it'd be _you_ falling for a young girl with pink hair," Sirius said with a sunny smile. "That sounds like something I would do. I guess that I was a bad influence on you after all."

Remus went scarlet and determinedly walked to the door.

"Just answer me one thing," Sirius called after him as Remus put a hand on the doorknob and was halfway in turning it. "Do you love her?"

"I can't afford to," he said, looking more careworn than he ever looked. "Financially or safely…"

"But do you love her?" Sirius persisted. "Just answer me that much."

For a few minutes, Remus didn't say anything, didn't even look up from the doorknob that he was still holding tightly onto. But Sirius knew Remus well enough that he could tell that his old friend was raging an all-out war inside his head with what he thought was right and what he wanted.

"I'm not asking if you're doing something wrong or anything," Sirius said, with a hint of his familiar impatience back in his voice. "I'm just asking if you love her or not."

"Yes," Remus hissed at him. "Not that it's any of your business… but yes! But it doesn't matter alright? I know what I can and can never have. So just drop it already."

Sirius just gave him a smug smile as the werewolf practically ran from the room when the doorbell suddenly rang, signaling that the teachers were back.

Little did Remus know, that Sirius had winked when he looked over to behind the icebox where Tonks's wide eyes were staring back at him. "I would've told him you were there," Sirius said brightly as she came back out carrying a bottle of almost finished Butterbeer, looking both pleased and stunned. "But I couldn't think of another way for him to admit the truth."

**(Oh, cute. Remus finally comes out and admits that he loves Tonks… and Sirius 'forgot' to tell him that the girl was there! This little love story is bound to get good later on. This chapter was hard to write, but I'm so glad that I got it done. Next chapter we go back to reading the story! Hope you enjoyed it.)**


	20. Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 17: Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw**

Sirius and Tonks, who was blushing with pleasure, both entered the hallway to see Albus, Minerva, and a grumpy looking Mad-Eye being shown inside by a very red Lupin. He glared at Sirius who smiled back in a knowing way—while also noticing Tonks unable to look at the werewolf without giggling out of the corner of his eye.

Feeling happier, Sirius followed them all up the stairs to where the rest of the gang was waiting for someone to start.

"I'll read next," Sirius said as he grabbed the book. He knew his good mood was unlikely to last much longer, but wanted to do something useful until then. He began flipping the pages, trying to find the next chapter.

"I think we're on chapter 13," Minerva said as she took her usual seat beside Albus who folded his hands and waited patiently.

"13, eh?" Mad-Eye asked moodily as he had his hip-flask in his hands and had his magical eye swirling around to look at them all. "I've noticed it with the last two books. It's usually during the chapters 12… and 13 where the key story-line events happen."

"What is with you noticing these things?" Tonks couldn't help but ask as she took a seat next to Remus and gave the werewolf a dazzling smile, which caused him to go even redder.

"Maybe if you actually paid attention," Mad-Eye snapped back, "You would notice them too!"

"Enough, both of you," Kingsley said deeply as Sirius finally found the right chapter. He was surprised, but also so delighted, he couldn't help but smile when he saw the chapter name.

"Ohh," Tonks said noticing the smile and asked, "What is it?"

Sirius cleared his throat and read out happily, "**Chapter 13: ****Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw." **This time the picture was of Crookshanks peeking out from behind a tree, and Sirius vaguely wondered what that was about.

"Yes!" Tonks cried out, punching the air. "I smell a Quidditch game in the air. We've been hearing about this upcoming match and I can't wait to hear what happens!"

"Good thing that Harry finally got his world-class broom back," said Sirius—still a little sore that McGonagall took it in the first place.

"I've heard more than enough about the Firebolt," Minerva muttered under her breath—remembering how Lee Jordon spent most of the match talking about that broom—and the several times she was close to casting a silencing charm on him to keep him quiet. But that was wiped out of her mind when Sirius started reading.

**It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship.**

"Oh, no," groaned Tonks. This was not a good way to start a chapter.

"Over a rat?" Sirius asked grumpily. Great, this rat was ruining another friendship! Just one more reason to kill him if he ever saw him again. "He was just a useless, cowardly, good-for-nothing rat!"

"Well, I would be upset to if my pet was eaten by my best friend's pet," commented Arthur with a slight sigh of relief. He had been freaking out over the crazy idea that Scabbers and Peter Pettigrew might've actually been the same rat… but that really was just crazy talk. Here was proof that their old family rat was eaten. Didn't know what he was thinking.

"I am glad that they made up eventually," Kingsley said as he looked to the teachers and asked, "Did their fight really seem that bad?"

"I have to admit," Minerva said thinking it over, "I couldn't understand how such close friends could suddenly stop talking to each other just like that. But they did make up not long after this next Quidditch game, I know that."

"Oh, good," Molly sighed. "But I still think that they could've worked things out long before that."

"They're teenagers," Albus reminded them all thoughtfully. "They're at a difficult stage, and it's hard to relate to what they're going through."

**Each was so angry with the other that Harry couldn't see how they'd ever make up. **

"Until they finally find out who the real filthy traitor is," Sirius growled in Remus's ear—who nodded in return.

**Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. **

'_He was innocent,'_ Sirius couldn't help but think to himself. _'Yet another thing that cat and I have in common. Blamed for crimes we didn't do… and it's all thanks to that little cowardly…' _he couldn't even think of a bad enough insult to call Wormtail._ 'Crookshanks was doing everyone a favor trying to get rid of it.'_

"I really think that she's pushing it too far," said Molly fairly. "It's in a cat's nature to eat rats, so saying that he had nothing to do with it isn't convincing."

**Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie.**

"She's got a good poing," Tonks conceded, thinking that over. "But can you really blame him?"

"Strange…" Kingsley muttered to himself, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What is?" Arthur asked him curiously.

"I'm only thinking that, although she is being a little insensitive here, Hermione is rarely unreasonable," Kingsley pointed out. "In fact, she is usually right about things. What if Scabbers is only injured and needed help? What if he _is_ under a bed? Then again, what about Crookshanks' determination to get that rat? He's not a normal cat."

"Good point," Mad-Eye said. "I don't think we should rule anything out without some hard evidence."

"Let's just say that Crookshanks ate him and be done with it?" Arthur almost pleaded, refusing to believe on who Scabbers might be. He turned back to Sirius and said, before Molly could ask him what the matter was, "Please go on, Sirius. Let's get to the Quidditch match."

Sirius brightened up slightly and continued.

**Personally, Harry was sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, and when he tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way, she lost her temper with Harry too.**

**"****Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would!" she said shrilly. "First the Firebolt, now Scabbers, everything's my fault, isn't it! Just leave me alone, Harry, I've got a lot of work to do!"**

"No need to snap at him," Sirius frowned. "He wasn't accusing her of anything; he was only pointing it out."

"That's the problem when friends fight," Arthur stated. "It always ends up with at least one friend in the middle and the other two expect them to pick a side."

"And having a stressed out Hermione who has so much work to do, isn't helping matters," Molly said sadly.

**Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.**

**"****Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," said Fred bracingly. "And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly — one swallow — he probably didn't feel a thing."**

'_That's not a bad mental image,'_ Sirius thought darkly. _'Though if I had it my way, he'd suffer a little before he died a slow and painful death.'_

**"****Fred!" said Ginny indignantly.**

**"****All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," said George.**

**"****He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Harry?"**

**"****Yeah, that's true," said Harry.**

"Only useful thing he ever did," Sirius muttered under his breath, hoping they get through this part quickly.

**"****His finest hour," said Fred, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. **

"Fred!" Molly scolded, forgetting that her son wasn't here.

Mad-Eye on the other hand, was clicking his tongue impatiently. More finger references… All this finger stuff seems to be pointing to something important, he was sure of it. They kept popping up too often to be coincidence.

**Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"**

"These twins aren't exactly sympathetic, are they?" grimaced Minerva.

"They have even less tact than Ron does," Molly had to nod. "Where we went wrong with that I'll never know."

"Just let them grow up a bit more, Molly," Arthur reminded her. "They're still a bit young and learning more about themselves. I'm sure that they'll mature at their own pace."

"But Fred makes a very good point," Sirius growled. "Who would want to moan for that rat?"

"But he's still their brother and it was his pet," Arthur muttered, still worried about his theory. "Even if it is a rat, they should at least try to make him feel better."

Sirius just rolled his eyes as he went back to the book.

**In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they'd finished. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment ("Great! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?") so they set off for the Quidditch field together.**

"There we go," Sirius said proudly. "That's a real friend right there!" And they were through talking about that pathetic excuse for a pet for now which was just an added bonus.

**Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry, was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been. She took it in her hands before takeoff and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion.**

**"****Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too…"**

"She's still going on about that?" Sirius asked in surprise and a small laugh. "She talked about them during our first Flying lesson. Remember, Moony?"

Remus nodded and also let out a small chuckle. "I think she went on about those for about 10 minutes before James finally cracked and asked if they could get in the air and start.

**She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, "Er — Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice…"**

**"****Oh — right — here you are, then, Potter," said Madam Hooch. "I'll sit over here with Weasley…"**

**She and Ron left the field to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Wood for his final instructions for tomorrow's match.**

**"****Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang.****She's a fourth year, and she's pretty good… I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries…" Wood scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, **

"Why am I not surprised by this?" Minerva asked coldly. "I'm now seriously regretting making him captain if he treats others like this…"

"Not that it matters anymore," Sirius said. "He left didn't he? Not like you can take his badge away now right? And besides, Harry's the best Seeker ever. He doesn't need to worry about Chang."

**then said, "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt." He gave Harry's broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, "Okay, everyone, let's go —"**

**And at long last, Harry mounted his Firebolt, and kicked off from the ground.**

Sirius couldn't stop the smile coming as he read a little faster. Wanting to hear every single detail to how much Harry loved his gift—and proud that he was the one who gave it to him.

**It was better than he'd ever dreamed. The Firebolt turned with the lightest touch; it seemed to obey his thoughts rather than his grip; it sped across the field at such speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-gray blur; Harry turned it so sharply that Alicia Spinnet screamed, then he went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy field with his toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again —**

Sirius couldn't help but groan in longing… what he wouldn't give to feel that kind of freedom just one more time. Most of the others were also smiling along with him. Glad to hear that Harry was enjoying himself for the first time in weeks—if not months.

**"****Harry, I'm letting the Snitch out!" Wood called.**

**Harry turned and raced a Bludger toward the goal posts; he outstripped it easily, saw the Snitch dart out from behind Wood, and within ten seconds had caught it tightly in his hand.**

"Wow," Tonks breathed enviously. "I _really _need to get a better broom."

"I already said that I'll get you one for next Christmas," Sirius reminded her with a wink to Remus. "And I think you should thank Remus for giving me the idea. He knew you'd love it."

"Really?" she asked as she looked over at Remus who spluttered and choked. But before he could find his voice—Tonks cried out, "Thanks Remus!" and flung her arms around his neck. Not knowing what else to do, Remus glared over at his _former_ best friend.

The rest of the others laughed—except for Albus who smiled at the couple, and Mad-Eye who fixed his magical eye on Remus in a disapproving way. Once the laughing was done, all Sirius could do was grin at Professor Moony's beet-red face and said, "Now, Remus. Now's not the time to be modest. I know that you were looking for a good present… even if you are several months early."

Tonks finally pulled away, a large smile on her face and Remus unable to look at her. As angry as he was at Sirius for doing that, he couldn't deny that he loved it when Tonks hugged him. He shook his head—the whole list of reasons why he and Tonks could never be together were playing themselves in his mind over and over again. But his resolve to not become involved was quickly fading with each time she touched him.

Sirius smirked to himself as he went on.

**The team cheered madly. Harry let the Snitch go again, gave it a minute's head start, then tore after it, weaving in and out of the others; he spotted it lurking near Katie Bell's knee, looped her easily, and caught it again.**

"Thought the kid was above showing off," Mad-Eye said and Albus just chuckled.

"He's still a teenager," Albus said, feeling lighter than he had been feeling for weeks. He was glad that he got to see a teen happy and enjoying himself. He much preferred seeing the boy like this than older beyond his years.

**It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolt in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Wood didn't have a single criticism to make, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a first.**

**"****I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" said Wood. "Not unless — Harry, you've sorted out your Dementor problem, haven't you?"**

**"****Yeah," said Harry, thinking of his feeble Patronus and wishing it were stronger.**

"It's an incredible achievement for getting that far in such a short time," Remus reminded them all. "And before the end of this year, it did become much stronger."

Sirius shuddered at the thought of what would've happened if it wasn't… or what could've happened to his godson last summer if he never learned that spell… "Lucky for us."

**"****The Dementors won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore'd go ballistic," said Fred confidently.**

"If the Dementors turned up again, I think even _I_ would've pitied them after you got through with them, Albus," Minerva said and the Headmaster blushed.

"You flatter me," he said cheerfully. "While I am honored you think so highly of me, Minerva… I have no doubt that, when my time is finally over, the school will hold up well without me."

"Only you can talk about dying so optimistically," Tonks said shaking her head as everyone else looked at him. To be honest it was a very strange thought of their Headmaster gone from the school forever. Even Sirius, as angry as he was at the old man, had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was furious with Dumbledore for putting his godson through all the needless suffering he had to go through for all those years…

On the other hand… he remembered all the times that his old Headmaster would let him off the hook after some spectacular prank he pulled off at school; and even laughed along with him and James when they were sent to his office by a furious McGonagall. And if it wasn't for him, Remus would never have been allowed to come to Hogwarts…

He risked a glance over at Remus who was having the same train of thoughts.

Remus couldn't help but remember all the kindness Albus Dumbledore showed him and his parents after he had come straight to their house and told him in person that he would be allowed to go to school. That day was forever burned into his memory. And if he never went to Hogwarts, he never would've made friends with James, Sirius, and… he thought of Peter with bitterness.

Albus was also the only person who offered him a job until he choose to leave after Severus let slip about his condition… Remus knew that he owed the man a lot for all he'd done for him. And as much as he hated the decisions he made with Harry; Remus couldn't help but feel grateful to him for giving him so many chances when no one else would've. He barely paid any attention to anything around him, lost in his own memories, until Sirius's voice interrupted them and he came back to hear what was happening.

**"****Well, let's hope not," said Wood. "Anyway — good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower… turn in early…"**

**"****I'm staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt," Harry told Wood, and while the rest of the team headed off to the locker rooms, Harry strode over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet him. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat.**

"She's supposed to be keeping an eye on them," scolded Molly angrily and Minerva pinched her lips together in a disapproving way.

"He's fine!" Sirius snapped back, wanting to go back to listening to his godson having fun. "It's not like anyone's out to get him!"

**"****Here you go," said Harry, handing Ron the Firebolt.**

**Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him.**

When Minerva heard this, she smiled slightly to herself as she just picked out who the next Gryffindor Quidditch Captain will be for next year. To be honest, she had also chosen him for Prefect this year, but Albus had decided against it. She had been surprised, however didn't question it. But now… she looked up at Dumbledore, who was looking at the book with polite interest—she couldn't help but wonder why he disagreed with the idea.

**Night had fallen before Madam Hooch awoke with a start, told Harry and Ron off for not waking her, and insisted that they go back to the castle.**

**Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt's superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning. They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw something that made his heart turn over — a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness.**

"Oh, no…" Tonks groaned as they all tensed up—their hearts started to pound loudly in their chests. Remus stared at Sirius, who held up his hands and said quickly, "Don't look at me at me like that! It wasn't me!"

"Then who was it?" Molly cried with a note of panic in her voice just as Sirius read on.

**Harry stopped dead, his heart banging against his ribs.**

"What is it?!" Mad-Eye barked, sounding more annoyed then worried, but you could detect a slight bit of concern hidden underneath the sharpness of his voice.

**"****What's the matter?" said Ron.**

**Harry pointed. Ron pulled out his wand and muttered, "Lumos!"**

**A beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches; there, crouching among the budding leaves, was Crookshanks.**

They all let out sighs of relief; though with Mad-Eye it sounded more like a growl of impatience. This book wasn't doing them any favors on their nerves—making them even more paranoid than they were. And if this was how they reacted to a cat… how were they going to manage when something major happened?

Sirius took a deep breath and went on.

**"****Get out of here!" Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail.**

**"****See?" Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. "She's still letting him wander about wherever he wants — probably washing down Scabbers with a couple of birds now…"**

"There's that positive attitude hard at work," Tonks said lightly, causing a few smirks to lessen the tension of the room.

**Harry didn't say anything. He took a deep breath as relief seeped through him; he had been sure for a moment that those eyes had belonged to the Grim. **

"Yet another one who's optimistic," Kingsley declared.

**They set off for the castle once more. Slightly ashamed of his moment of panic, **

Remus raised an eyebrow and said, "Panic? If that is Harry's version of panicking, then I can't wait to see how calm his is during a crisis."

"That's… impressive," Mad-Eye admitted almost painfully. "We need more people on our side who can stay calm like that during a emergency, and less of those who lose their heads."

**Harry didn't say anything to Ron — nor did he look left or right until they had reached the well lit entrance hall.**

"I really wish he would stop bottling everything up. That can't be healthy for him," Molly said worriedly.

"Yes… but now that I'm hearing this," Albus said softly, causing the rest of them to look up. "I don't think that it was just Crookshanks out there."

"What makes you say that?" Arthur asked in surprise.

"If you think about it, we have learned that Harry doesn't usually just _'see'_ things," Albus said pensive. "So we should be suspicious whenever Harry thinks he's seeing something. Even now."

"Especially now that Voldemort's back?" Remus asked darkly and Albus nodded with a morose expression. Not wanting to think about that, Sirius turned the page stiffly, wondering when they'll get to the game already.

**Harry went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the boys in his dormitory, all of whom seemed to think the Firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honor. As Harry entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Harry saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.**

Tonks laughed loudly, and Sirius snorted with laughter.

"Oh, I'd give anything to have seen the look on his face when he saw it!" Sirius laughed. "Oh, this is too good!"

**"****Did you see his face?" said Ron gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. "He can't believe it! This is brilliant!"**

"Yeah, just go up and rub it in his arrogant face, Harry!" Sirius cried with a large smirk and his heart feeling lighter. His excitement of reading about the game was growing so large and fast, that it was almost an ache—but a good one. If they didn't get to it soon he was going to go mad.

"Sirius?" Minerva said sternly. "Just read before you explode."

"I can't help it," Sirius said happily as he rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. "This is going to be _so_ good!"

**Wood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt.**

**"****Put it here, Harry," he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upward. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, **

"I like Diggory," Tonks said sadly, proud to have had such a good person in her old house. "Not too many people would've done that."

They all bowed their heads in memory of Cedric and Albus said, "Yes. Cedric embodied the qualities of Hufflepuff House. He had a sense of fair play, kind, brave, hard-working… and a fiercely loyal friend." He sighed miserably. "His death was truly a tragic lost to everyone who knew and cared for him."

They were all silent for a few moments out of respect for Cedric, before Sirius bravely plowed on.

**and Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt.**

**"****Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely. "Penelope and I have got a bet on," he told the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!"**

"Percy betting?" Sirius asked, while the two Weasley's looked startled that Percy—who always had a negative attitude about gambling—would make a bet. "I guess Quidditch really can bring out sides of people you never knew existed."

"I thought gambling was against school rules," Molly stated looking at Minerva and Albus with a critical eye.

"It is, but we can't catch everyone at it all the time," Minerva explained helplessly.

"It's their money, and if they want to waste it on betting, that is their business," Mad-Eye said taking a swig of his flask. "I think letting that girl near the broom is a bigger risk. It's would be too easy for someone to jinx it!"

"Do you have to be so paranoid that you think that the students are all Death Eaters now?" Tonks asked him with her eyebrows raised.

"We don't know anything about Clearwater, except, we worry about anyone who actually likes Percy," Mad-Eye barked back—ignoring the disdainful looks the two Weasley gave him. "She wants to hold the broom? That means that she either interested in brooms or has a specific motive in mind. She bet 10 Galleons on the match didn't she? That's a lot of money which means…"

"Have you ever thought that maybe she just wanted to brag to her friends that she got to hold a Firebolt and that's it?" Sirius asked evenly.

"It's an attitude like that that will get you killed!" Moody barked. "Constant vigilance! Better to be prepared for anything then get killed."

**Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry, and went back to her table.**

**"****Harry — make sure you win," said Percy, in an urgent whisper. "I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he bustled off to join her in a piece of toast.**

"Why would he make the bet if he didn't have the money?" Tonks asked but no one has an answer for her.

"Happens all the time," Kingsley shrugged. "Percy must've been confident that Gryffindor would win."

**"****Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?" said a cold, drawling voice.**

**Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.**

"Ah, and Slytherin's _star pupils _have arrived!" Sirius cried out sarcastically. His eyes narrowed in distaste, just daring them to do something. If they tried anything… he would make sure that they regret it.

**"****Yeah, reckon so," said Harry casually.**

**"****Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" said Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute — in case you get too near a Dementor."**

"Is he still going on about that?" Sirius groaned incredulously. "Come on! That joke got old long ago! And it wasn't even funny to begin with!"

"Slytherins sure aren't very original are they?" Tonks asked conversationally, yawning widely.

"What happened to the good old days when the Slytherin House was able to come up with some good insults and actually made it worth fighting back?" Sirius asked shaking his head. "He is just pathetic. And he gets more like a wimp with each book."

**Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.**

"Cause they don't have brains of their own," Sirius grumbled to himself.

**"****Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," said Harry. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."**

"Now there's a good comeback," Remus smiled, "That sounds like something Lily would've said."

"That's my boy!" Sirius yelled out beaming, as tears of laughter formed in his eyes. "Maybe this will help with that confidence problem of his… as well as knocking Malfoy off a peg or two."

**The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed, and he stalked away. They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry's broom really was a Firebolt.**

"Of course it's a real one!" exclaimed Sirius in mock outrage. "Why would everyone be running over to look at it if it wasn't?"

"I don't think that's it," Kingsley said frowning. "After everything I've heard about Malfoy, then he must be planning to make trouble for him."

Sirius snorted. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Even when Slytherin isn't playing, they're looking for ways to cheat."

"Ok," Albus said, holding up his hands and gesturing for Sirius to keep reading. "That's enough. We keep going on like this, then we'll never finish this chapter."

**At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. **

"Good," said Molly thankfully. She had been worried about that and wasn't looking forward to hear about how they had to play in another tempest.

**It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Harry, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. Harry took off his black school robes, removed his wand from his pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt he was going to wear under his Quidditch robes. He only hoped he wouldn't need it. He wondered suddenly whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching.**

"I was," Remus smiled. "I was excited to see him play. You have no idea how proud I was to be able to watch it… I know that James would have been." A few others smiled along sadly, knowing that James would've given anything to have seen his son play.

Sirius shifted in his seat—mixed feelings playing themselves over again. He shook his head in a dog-like way, not wanting to fall back into his depression again. So he read more quickly, hoping to get to the juicy details about the game.

**"****You know what we've got to do," said Wood as they prepared to leave the locker rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running, just — just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"**

**They walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and Harry couldn't help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty. She smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and he felt a slight lurch in the region of his stomach that he didn't think had anything to do with nerves.**

Sirius stopped dead and had to re-read those last few lines a few more times before he was able to let those words sink in.

"Aaaaaaaawwwww," Tonks and Molly cooed with wide smiles on their faces.

"Someone has their first crush…" Sirius said in a teasing voice as he grinned from ear-to-ear. The others started laughing, and Albus's eyes twinkled brightly.

"Hearing about his first crush really shows just how human, Harry is," Tonks said. "It's almost… strange. Makes you think about your first crushes and experiences doesn't it? Shows that this happens to everyone—not just you."

They all stared at her for a few seconds until they realized she was right. For that brief moment, they all had sudden flashbacks of their own youths—first crushes, old routines, laughing at things that weren't were only funny to them…

It was almost painful to think about it. Sirius was tempted to give himself a good, hard slap in the face to snap him out of it. But thankfully, he was able to come back on his own—though not without a reminiscing smile at those fond memories.

**"****Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.**

**"****Mount your brooms… on my whistle… three — two — one —"**

"Finally," Sirius whispered, his heart speeding up—but this time in exhilaration—as he read in a faster and louder voice.

**Harry kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom; he soared around the stadium and began squinting around for the Snitch, listening all the while to the commentary, which was being provided by the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan.**

**"****They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship —"**

Everyone laughed at that, knowing that he was pushing his luck with Professor McGonagall sitting so near. Even Minerva was having a hard time trying to hide her own laughter. She had to admit it—though not to anyone else of course—that his commentaries were entertaining.

**"****Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice.**

**"****Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and —"**

**"****Jordan!"**

Albus chuckled loudly at this; his eyes twinkling at her and she raised her eyebrows at him in return. He was probably the only person who knew that she secretly liked Lee Jordan commentaries during the matches.

**"****Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, heading for goal…"**

**Harry streaked past Katie in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and noticing that Cho Chang was tailing him closely. She was undoubtedly a very good flier — she kept cutting across him, forcing him to change direction.**

"She's following him, it's not a terrible strategy, but it could get her into trouble if she doesn't bother looking for the Snitch herself," Kingsley stated.

"Who cares?" Sirius shrugged. "It's not like she'll ever beat him in a flat-out race anyway."

"Must be why she's following him," Tonks smirked, practically bouncing in her seat.

**"****Show her your acceleration, Harry!" Fred yelled as he whooshed past in pursuit of a Bludger that was aiming for Alicia.**

**Harry urged the Firebolt forward as they rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts and Cho fell behind. Just as Katie succeeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, he saw it — the Snitch was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers.**

**Harry dived; Cho saw what he was doing and tore after him — Harry was speeding up, excitement flooding him; dives were his specialty, **

"Ever since his first dive in his first flying lesson," Sirius said thinking back fondly. "And broke his first rule… I'm so proud."

**he was ten feet away —**

"Come on, Harry!" Sirius was practically shouting in happiness.

**Then a Bludger, hit by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, came pelting out of nowhere; Harry veered off course, avoiding it by an inch, and in those few, crucial seconds, the Snitch had vanished.**

"Ooooooh," Tonks and Sirius both sighed in disappointed.

**There was a great "Ooooooh" of disappointment from the Gryffindor supporters,**

"I know the feeling," Sirius said as Tonks and Mad-Eye both snorted.

**but much applause for their Beater from the Ravenclaw end. George Weasley vented his feelings by hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Beater, who was forced to roll right over in midair to avoid it.**

**"****Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision — balance is really noticeable in these long —"**

"Why do I get the feeling that he's going to be told off again?" Kingsley asked with a grin.

"Because he was!" Minerva said stiffly. "He was supposed to be commenting on the game, not talking about brooms!"

**"****JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"**

"Well, can you blame him? It's an awesome broom!" Tonks said.

Sirius burst out laughing. "He's got some nerve, going on like that next to you!"

**Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead — if Cho got the Snitch before him, Ravenclaw would win. Harry dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically — a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings — the Snitch was circling the Gryffindor goal post…**

**Harry accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead — but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking him —**

"She should go for the Snitch herself, not block Harry!" Molly said heatedly. "The game will never end like that!"

"Maybe that's her plan?" Tonks asked with a shrug. "Drag the game on as long as possible until Gryffindor gets tired and quits?"

"If it is, it's a lame plan," Sirius said rolling his eyes. "And if they honestly think that works, they don't have any idea who they're dealing with. Gryffindors don't give up. Especially when it comes to Quidditch."

**"****HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood roared as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"**

Minerva just shook her head in resignation.

**Harry turned and caught sight of Cho; she was grinning. **

"That shouldn't be allowed. Playful flirting in the middle of a Quidditch match!" said Sirius grinning again. "They could at least wait until the game is over!"

"I think it's cute," Tonks said smiling. "Oh," she suddenly realized something. "Looks like Ginny's going to have a little competition."

"Oh, lay off her," Arthur chuckled. Having a hard time thinking about his little girl going out on dates. "They both have plenty of time to start dating later."

**The Snitch had vanished again. Harry turned his Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cho following him… She'd decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herself… All right, then… if she wanted to tail him, she'd have to take the consequences…**

"I like where this is going. He's going to feint and get her to follow him so he can catch the Snitch before she tries to block him again," Sirius screamed excitedly like he was watching the match in real life.

"This can't end well," Molly groaned.

"At least he doesn't try to knock Cho off her broom," Kingsley declared.

"Like he would do that with his crush," Tonks said teasingly.

**He dived again, and Cho, thinking he'd seen the Snitch, tried to follow; Harry pulled out of the dive very sharply; she hurtled downward; he rose fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time — the Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end.**

"GO FOR IT!" Sirius bellowed out loudly, not even paying attention to the wincing the others did at his loud voice. He was getting into the game and reading so fast that it was hard to keep up with the words he was practically spitting out.

**He accelerated; so, many feet below, did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second — then —**

**"****Oh!" screamed Cho, pointing.**

**Distracted, Harry looked down.**

"Come on, Potter!" Mad-Eye said in deep annoyance. "Distracted by a girl? I had higher hopes for you."

"He's a teenage boy," Remus said, remembering warmly how James always got distracted whenever Lily was around, without fail. "That's just how they are."

**Three Dementors, three tall, black, hooded Dementors, were looking up at him.**

"Damn it, not again!" Sirius growled furiously—not even noticing the relaxed look on Remus's face, and the stern looks on the two teachers faces.

Remus said quickly. "Don't worry. No one's in any danger this time."

"What do you mean?" Molly demanded, going white at the idea of Dementors coming onto the field again.

"Think about it," Remus explained. "Harry's effected by Dementors worse than most people. But he's not feeling anything at all. He would've felt them before he saw them, and he hasn't mentioned feeling cold or anything. That's because they aren't real."

"Not real?" Tonks gasped out incredulous. "Then what are they?"

"Malfoy!" Sirius growled out, sounding more like Padfoot more than himself. He turned to glare at Dumbledore, "I hope you did something about this!"

"There was no need," Albus said, his expression still firm, but calm and slightly amused also. "Harry took care of it rather well on his own."

That got Sirius's attention. He turned back to the page and read:

**He didn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and roared, "Expecto patronum!"**

**Something silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand.**

"Did he just cast a corporal Patronus right there?" Tonks asked shocked.

"Yes, indeed," Remus said proudly. "Not that he noticed it at the time. I think that he was more focused on getting the Snitch and ending the game before he passed out again."

"Now, I am impressed," Kingsley declared. "I thought that he didn't master this until the end of the year."

"It was a surprise to us all," Minerva said, remembering how astonished she was to see the Patronus cast and charge the Dementors down. That is until she saw them on the ground with their hoods falling off. Needless to say, she was beyond furious that they would attempt such a low and cowardly trick.

**He knew it had shot directly at the Dementors but didn't pause to watch; his mind still miraculously clear, he looked ahead — he was nearly there. He stretched out the hand still grasping his wand and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.**

"YES, GREAT CATCH HARRY!" Sirius roared, and Tonks gave him a double high-five.

"Looks like Clearwater's out 10 Galleons," Mad-Eye said remembering the girl, and still convinced that she could've jinxed that broom easily.

**Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Harry turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team was hugging him so hard he was nearly pulled off his broom. Down below he could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd.**

**"****That's my boy!" Wood kept yelling. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie had all kissed Harry; **

"A lady killer isn't he?" Sirius said teasingly.

"Yes," Remus nodded. "Not at all like his godfather used to be," he then added and Sirius punched him harder than he intended in the shoulder. But was in such a good mood, that he couldn't even bring himself to frown at the insult to his ego.

**Fred had him in a grip so tight Harry felt as though his head would come off. In complete disarray, the team managed to make its way back to the ground. Harry got off his broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron in the lead. Before he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.**

**"****Yes!" Ron yelled, yanking Harry's arm into the air. "Yes! Yes!"**

**"****Well done, Harry!" said Percy, looking delighted. "Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me —"**

**"****Good for you, Harry!" roared Seamus Finnigan.**

**"****Ruddy brilliant!" boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.**

**"****That was quite some Patronus," said a voice in Harry's ear.**

"Professor Moony," Tonks and Sirius shouted and Remus blushed at that.

**Harry turned around to see Professor Lupin, who looked both shaken and pleased.**

"Shaken?" Tonks asked him in confusion.

"Yes," Remus said, nodding to her in a melancholy way. "James's Animagu's form was a stag… the same form that Harry's Patronus takes. It was like seeing Prongs again."

He sighed, but almost immediately tensed up as she took his hand and gave him a meaningful glimpse. For one wild second as he looked straight at her, Remus had to fight the urge to lean in and kiss her. He shut his eyes tightly and turned away. He didn't dare open his eyes until he heard Sirius's continue and Tonks took her hand away. But even after she did, he couldn't bear to look at her—ashamed by his thoughts.

**"****The Dementors didn't affect me at all!" Harry said excitedly. "I didn't feel a thing!"**

**"****That would be because they — er — weren't Dementors," said Professor Lupin. "Come and see —"**

**He led Harry out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field.**

**"****You gave Mr. Malfoy quite a fright," said Lupin.**

"That's perfect," Sirius grinned yet again. "Oh, that would've made their victory even better! They should have a party for that alone!"

**Harry stared. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. **

"I-I can't believe anyone would do that!" Molly stuttered feverishly. "That little… why I outta…" she couldn't even say how outraged she was. "He could've caused Harry to fall off his broom again!"

"I think that was the idea," said Kingsley calmly. "But thankfully, his selfish plan didn't go that way!"

"The Slytherins were all scared," Mad-Eye pointed out. "They knew they didn't stand a chance if Gryffindor won. And I think that Malfoy wanted to get back at Potter for the insult earlier."

"What a spoiled brat!" Sirius roared. "And people think I'm immature! How can they actually think that Harry faints just from seeing a Dementor?"

"They're kids," Albus said softly. "It's difficult to understand what someone has gone through, unless you go through it as well."

Sirius gave him another stern look. Not sure of what he should say to that. Instead, he just decided to let it go.

**It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle's shoulders. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall.**

"Oh, bet you were happy to see them," Tonks couldn't resist but say.

Minerva's mouth became a thin line. "What do you think? Dementors are not a laughing matter. They're lucky that things turned out the way that they did. If, by some chance, Harry did fall of his broom again, they would've been in even more serious trouble than they were!"

"Instead," Tonks said happily, "It just made them looks stupid and got them busted."

**"****An unworthy trick!" she was shouting. "A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!"**

Most of them laughed at this scene, glad to see Malfoy get just a little bit of the retribution that was long overdue to him.

**If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor's victory, it was this. Ron, who had fought his way through to Harry's side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Malfoy fighting to extricate himself from the robe, Goyle's head still stuck inside it.**

**"****Come on, Harry!" said George, fighting his way over. "Party! Gryffindor common room, now!"**

**"****Right," said Harry, and feeling happier than he had in ages, he and the rest of the team led the way, still in their scarlet robes, out of the stadium and back up to the castle.**

"I sense a good party coming!" Sirius said cheerfully. "Oh, how I miss the Gryffindor parties."

"Yeah," Remus chortled. "You and James were the life and soul for every single one."

"Good times," Sirius beamed.

"Yes," Minerva said rather coldly. "If I recall correctly… You two wouldn't stop until someone finally passed out from either too much food or exhaustion."

"Come on," Sirius said folding his legs and turning the page. "You can't end a good party without _someone_ on the floor." He then went on before she or Molly could say anything against that.

**It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.**

"How did they get all that…?" Molly asked in a frigid tone. Though anyone could tell that she already knew how her sons got all that food.

**"****How did you do that?" squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd.**

"It's a mystery if you ask me," Tonks said dryly, but without any real disapproval, and Sirius gave her another high-five.

**"****With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Fred muttered in Harry's ear.**

"Don't mention it," Sirius said with a wave of his hand. "Just seeing the next generation of rule-breakers is thanks enough."

"I sure hope they didn't steal any of that!" Molly cried out.

"I'm sure that they didn't," Arthur replied calmly. "We raised them better than that. Besides, you know as well as I do, Molly how they have a hard time excepting expensive gifts. Even for their birthdays."

"True…" she admitted.

**Only one person wasn't joining in the festivities. **

"And three guesses who that is," said Minerva grimly; she had been hoping that Miss Granger had found some time to enjoy herself.

**Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles. Harry broke away from the table where Fred and George had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her.**

"Oh come Hermione, have a little fun for once," Sirius answered. "If you keep going on like that, then you're going to lose your mind!"

"She really needs to consider dropping a few subjects right about now," Tonks muttered in concern.

**"****Did you even come to the match?" he asked her.**

**"****Of course I did," said Hermione in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. **

"I would've thought that she would be too busy," Sirius said in mild surprise.

"Even when they're fighting," Albus said gravely, "I think she wanted to be there for her friend."

"Oh, Hermione…" Molly cooed, and several others looked both impressed and touched at her loyalty.

**"And I'm very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday."**

**"****Come on, Hermione, come and have some food," Harry said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet.**

"Food is good for you, Hermione," Tonks groaned. "Take a sweet if nothing else!"

"She's going to make herself sick if she keeps this up," Molly said in alarm.

**"****I can't, Harry. I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. **

"She really is cracking up," said Tonks anxiously and biting her lower lip, "She's trying to do too much."

"I think someone needs to tell her that," Sirius said, though he was worried for the young girl as well.

**"Anyway…" She glanced over at Ron too. "He doesn't want me to join in."**

**There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them —"**

"RONALD WEASELY!" Molly roared causing them all to jump. "I thought you were raised better than that! I would've thought that you would at least try to make up with her instead of…"

But before she could finish, Arthur put his arm around her and whispered, "Molly… it's ok. They made up in the end. Both of them just have a hard time admitting when they're wrong. I'm sure that this won't last too much longer. Once he steps back and considers what's important, they'll make up and be friends again."

Molly still looked upset, but she let the matter go as she folded her arms and had angry tears just barely forming in the corners of her eyes. This year must've been so hard on Hermione… that poor girl.

**Hermione burst into tears. Before Harry could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight.**

"I'm going to have a word with Ron the next time I see him," Molly muttered, and even Arthur had to agree with that.

**"****Can't you give her a break?" Harry asked Ron quietly.**

**"****No," said Ron flatly. **

Molly glared at the book as if it was her son.

**"If she just acted like she was sorry — but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."**

"That can't be good," Mad-Eye finally spoke up. "He's joking again. Every time he does that, he turns out to be right. Looks like we're going to be seeing that rat again." His magical eye looked at Sirius very briefly before it started spinning around again.

Arthur was looked disturbed at that. He tightened his grip on his wife's shoulders and prayed with all his might that what Moody said was wrong.

**The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. **

"You wear a hair net?" Sirius couldn't help but blurt out, but regretted it almost instantly as Minerva set him such a look that he kept a wary eye on her pocket in case she pulled out her wand.

**Harry and Ron climbed the stairs to their dormitory, still discussing the match. At last, exhausted, Harry climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of his four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt himself almost instantly drifting off to sleep…**

**He had a very strange dream. **

"When are his dreams ever _not_ strange?" Sirius couldn't help but ask.

"His head's messed up," Mad-Eye said as if it was obvious.

"Oi!" Sirius retorted. "Don't talk about my godson like that."

**He was walking through a forest, his Firebolt over his shoulder, following something silvery-white. It was winding its way through the trees ahead, and he could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up with it, he sped up, but as he moved faster, so did his quarry. Harry broke into a run, and ahead he heard hooves gathering speed.**

"He was dreaming about Prongs?" Remus asked in a slightly higher voice than usual.

Sirius had gone a little white as well. "Must've been…" he said slowly. "But how? He didn't know about Prongs…"

"I think that it might've been because of the Patronus he summoned earlier," Kingsley said thoughtfully. "And seeing how his father was the stag… I think that a subconscious part of the boy might've recognized him."

"I'm sure James would've loved to hear that," Remus whispered softly and Sirius couldn't help but agree. He took a deep, steadying breath before he continued.

**Now he was running flat out, and ahead he could hear galloping. Then he turned a corner into a clearing and —**

**"AAARRGGHH! NOOO!"**

Sirius yelled that out and caused them all to jump and cover their ears as they cringed at the loud noise.

"What was that for?!" Remus yelled, his rubbing his own ears. His acute hearing made it much worse for him than the others.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said. "But I could not resist. Anyway that's what the book says."

"Let me see," Arthur said leaning over to read once he had recovered. "_'into a clearing and…'_ He's right," he said glancing up.

"What happened?" Kingsley asked once he could hear normally again.

"Let me read and we'll find out," Sirius said as if it was their fault that they didn't know what was going on.

**Harry woke as suddenly as though he'd been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, he fumbled with his hangings, he could hear movements around him, and Seamus Finnigan's voice from the other side of the room.**

**"****What's going on?"**

"That's what we all like to know," Tonks said grumpily.

**Harry thought he heard the dormitory door slam. **

'_He did_,' Sirius thought, realizing what this was about. This was the night that he finally broke into the tower and was searching for Pettigrew. He gulped, knowing that the others weren't going to like this, but continued anyway.

**At last finding the divide in his curtains, he ripped them back, and at the same moment, Dean Thomas lit his lamp.**

**Ron was sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face.**

**"****Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!"**

Molly looked at Sirius, an expression of panic, fear, and fury all over her face. "You were standing over my son with a knife?!"

"I wasn't trying to hurt him!" Sirius yelled back.

"What were you doing in the Gryffindor Tower with a knife?" she demanded.

"A better question is how did you get in?" Moody asked after another long gulp of his flask.

"An even better question is what he was doing with a knife standing over Ron in the middle of the night when he's supposed to be innocent," Arthur said dryly. It took a lot to push him over the edge… hearing someone standing over his son with a knife in his hands was one of them.

"What were you doing there?" screeched Molly. "I mean, if you wanted to go into the bedroom for a chat when everyone else was asleep. I might've understood that. But a knife and standing over my son? What's with the knife? And why Ron?"

"I had a reason!" Sirius snarled back, but Arthur had gone very white. Pettigrew was a rat… and Ron had a Scabbers… no. He shook his head. Impossible. Scabbers was dead. He wasn't going to believe anything else until someone handed him proof that Scabbers was Wormtail.

Albus and Remus didn't look surprised at all, finally understanding why Sirius was there in the first place. But Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and even Tonks now were starting to put two and two together as they all shared meaningful looks with each other. Sirius and Molly went on arguing for a short time before Sirius started reading to drown out the sound of her voice.

**"****What?"**

**"****Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"**

**"****You sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" said Dean.**

**"****Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here!"**

"You sure aren't proving your case, Sirius," Remus said.

"I was desperate!" Sirius shot back. "I'd love to see you in my place!"

**They all scrambled out of bed; Harry reached the dormitory door first, and they sprinted back down the staircase. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy voices called after them.**

**"****Who shouted?"**

**"****What're you doing?"**

**The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.**

**"****Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"**

**"****I'm telling you, I saw him!"**

**"****What's all the noise?"**

**"****Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"**

**A few of the girls had come down their staircase, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing.**

**"****Excellent, are we carrying on?" said Fred Weasley brightly.**

"Of course he would say something like that," Molly said, still upset about the knife, but a little calmer now that she calmed down.

**"****Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.**

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "Pinning his badge to his pajamas," he repeated in disgust. "Honestly, you think that badge meant the world to him."

'_Which he probably does,'_ Sirius couldn't help but think as he found out how easily that Percy Weasley left his family for the Ministry. It seemed that authority ruled over morals for him…

**"****Perce — Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"**

**The common room went very still.**

**"****Nonsense!" said Percy, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron — had a nightmare —"**

Arthur couldn't help but shut his eyes in pain. Was it starting even this early? Percy not being able to believe the truth… His younger brother had just told him that a convinced murderer was standing over him with a knife and he didn't believe him. What was going through Percy's mind when he heard that? What of Fred and George? Did they think that Ron was making it up to get attention? Or did they really believe it and were terrified for him?

**"****I'm telling you —"**

**"****Now, really, enough's enough!"**

**Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.**

"Oh, you were going to tell them off?" Mad-Eye asked with an evil grin.

"It wasn't like I was aware of what happened!" Minerva snapped back. "Besides, Gryffindor House has a history of restarting wild parties even after they were told to go to bed! And you expect me to believe that there was a someone in the boys dorm with a knife?"

Sirius shuddered at his own stupidity.

**"****I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"**

"Did you really think he did this?" Sirius had to ask.

"I was tired!" Minerva retorted. "He was there and wasn't telling them to return to bed. What do you want from me?"

**"****I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare —"**

**"****IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"**

**Professor McGonagall stared at him.**

Minerva nodded. "It was difficult to believe," she confessed. "It sounded so far-fetched, and I didn't want to believe what he said was true."

"But you did?" Arthur asked.

"Wait for it," she said turning to the book again.

**"****Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"**

"Well, there's the problem right there," Tonks said nodding. "There's a nutter that guarding the portrait hole. Of course he wouldn't do his job right."

'_Probably the first and only time I was glad to see him,'_ Sirius thought privately to himself. Really, after Crookshanks had given him the list of passwords, and informed him that the portrait had been changed, he thought for sure that this would be his only chance to get into the tower and kill Wormtail. Seeing someone as dense as Cadogan only made it that much easier to break in.

**"****Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw —"**

**Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath. "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"**

**"****Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan.**

"Well that confirms it!" Tonks cried out sarcastically. "He is officially the worst guardian there ever was for just letting you in like that even with the password!"

Sirius glared at her hotly.

"Well, you are a mass murderer to the rest of the world," Kingsley pointed out. "And breaking into the tower like this just makes you look that much more guilty."

"A knife? I still can't get over that!" Molly snapped, though it was a little less harsh than it was before. She knew that Sirius would never hurt Harry or Ron… but still… the idea of someone holding a knife over her baby boy… she shivered horribly at the idea and had to cling even tighter to Arthur, who was only too happy to return it.

"Sorry," Sirius muttered. "But like I said, I was desperate."

"I don't suppose you want to tell us why you there in the first place?" Molly asked and Sirius just chose to ignore her question.

**There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.**

"I take it was a shock when they realized he was telling the truth," Mad-Eye stated unnecessarily. Minerva wasn't even going to humor him with an answer.

**"****You — you did?" said Professor McGonagall. "But — but the password!"**

**"****He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"**

"Didn't Neville say he write down all the passwords down on a piece of paper?" Tonks asked suddenly.

"Oh, he's in so much trouble," Arthur groaned, slightly shaken.

"Tell me," Minerva glared at Sirius. "Did you just find the paper… or did you steal from Longbottom?"

"Sirius didn't steal from him," Albus said, speaking at last as he looked at Sirius. "It was someone else who gave them to him."

"Who?" everyone but Remus asked, startled.

"I'm sure we'll find out before the book is through," he answered comfortably. "Speaking of which… I think we're in time for two or three more chapters before we finish up for the day." He checked his watch and said, "Yes, I think that should do. We might be able to finish the rest of the book by tomorrow if we're luckly."

**Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.**

**"****Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"**

**There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.**

"And that's the end of another chapter," Sirius said. This one wasn't nearly as bad as the last few, but he wished that it didn't end on such a sour note.

"Okay, so you got the list, but how did you get it? Were you hanging around the castle, or did you have spies?" Arthur asked as soon as Sirius had finished.

"And am I the only one who's wondering about what was Harry dreaming about?" Tonks had to add.

Albus shook his head. "I agree with that. From what I've noticed; Harry's dreams are usually very significant."

"Look! I wasn't trying to hurt any of the boys!"

"Then why were you there?!"

"I had a reason!"

"Like what?!"

"You just have to wait!"

"Why not explain now?!"

"Yes, I'd like to hear this as well!"

Tired of all the yelling, Kingsley, shaking his head, reached over and took the book from Sirius's hands and decided to read, hoping that it would distract them. "**Chapter 14: Snape's Grudge**."


	21. Snape's Grudge

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 18: Snape's Grudge**

Tired of all the yelling, Kingsley, shaking his head, reached over and took the book from Sirius's hands and decided to read, hoping that it would distract them. "**Chapter 14: Snape's Grudge**."

The picture this time was of a truly awful picture of Severus Snape pointing his wand at a piece of parchment on a desk… Kingsley could only guess that it was the Marauder's Map but he couldn't think of why Snape would have it in the first place.

"Grudge?" Tonks couldn't help but ask. "Which grudge are we talking about?"

"Knowing him, all of them," Sirius spat dryly. "You think that Snape would've learned to let a grudge go."

"And whose fault is that?" Molly said with her eyebrows raised. "From what you've been bragging about, I think that he might have a good reason to hate you."

"Ok, I admit that **I** deserve it!" Sirius confessed angrily. "But Harry doesn't! I wouldn't hold a grudge against Snape's kid if he had one! Heaven forbid if that bat ever reproduces… But he's treating Harry like he's the one to blame for the stuff that happened… just because he's James's son!"

Albus frowned at that, remembering the conversation just yesterday on how Severus continued to blame Lily's death on her son. Albus could understand why Severus felt this way… after all, to him, Harry was a living reminder of everything that Severus could've had. But he did agree with Sirius when it wasn't Harry's fault and Severus was blinded by hatred. But he also knew that Severus was slowly… slowly but surely, changing his mind about Harry. He could only hope that he would learn to see that Harry is not only James's son, but Lily's as well.

He looked up in time for Kingsley to start reading again.

**No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night. **

"Did he expect them to?" Tonks asked incredulously. "If I thought that there was a mass murderer in the castle after me, I wouldn't be able to sleep either."

"Only because you would be out there looking for him and trying to take him out," Mad-Eye reminded her.

Tonks thought that over and nodded, "You know… you're right about that."

Sirius growled slightly, but thankfully, he didn't say anything this time. Even he had to admit that he was sounding like a broken record.

**They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell them that he had again escaped.**

**Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black; **

"I hope it was one before I got carted to Azkaban," said Sirius lightly, trying to lighten the mood. He was able to get a few laughs from around the room, but they sounded a bit strained. "I agree that it's a clever idea to teach the doors how to recognize someone," Sirius went on, "But fortunately for me, it won't work for me."

Remus smiled, knowing all too well that the doors would only recognize Sirius… but not Padfoot. "That's true."

**Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.**

Albus sighed and the twinkle faded from his eyes just somewhat. He was against the idea of having trolls for guards inside his school… but the Fat Lady refused to return without the protection. And of course he, like everyone else, thought that Sirius was a much greater danger.

"Call me crazy," Tonks stated, "But why am I suddenly thinking of a few, more handsome and intelligent versions of Crabbe and Goyle?"

That got a few more laughs from the others and the atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten up considerably.

**Harry couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked. It seemed that Fred and George had been right in thinking that they — and now Harry, Ron, and Hermione — were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it.**

"But they're not the only ones who know about that entrance…" Sirius said in mock offense. "After all, we're the ones who discovered it!"

"Yes," Arthur said brightly, "But they don't know that at the time do they?"

Minerva suddenly frowned and turned to Remus and asked, "Why didn't you ever tell anyone else about this passageway?"

The smile on Remus's face faded almost instantly, and he looked down at the floor as if embarrassed. "I… I tried… but I couldn't bring myself to do it." He looked up apologetically at Albus and Minerva and said, "I was… afraid. I was terrified that…"

But before he could say anymore, Sirius clapped a hand on his thin shoulder and Albus said gently, "It doesn't matter, Remus. Everything worked out in the end."

"But…" Remus began again, but Sirius shook him a little and said, "Hey! If you did tell them about the passageway, I might've been caught a lot sooner and I wouldn't be here right now would I? Don't worry about it! Actually, I think that it's actually a good thing! If you did rat it out, they would've sealed it up for good! And think of how disappointed future mischief makers would be if that happened!"

Remus smiled back gratefully and Kingsley felt that it was safe to continue.

**"****D'you reckon we should tell someone?" Harry asked Ron.**

"Yes," Molly said anxiously. "I'm sorry…" she added to the two Marauders, "But if someone was actually after Harry, then they should've told someone about it. And I'm not talking about you, Sirius. I'm talking about anyone who might've been a threat to the students."

Sirius glared at her. "I still think it's a shame to cover up such a good secret passage! I am a little surprised Hermione didn't tell. She especially thought that I was out to kill Harry."

"If she did…" Tonks said, "The she would get trouble for keeping the passage a secret—and not just her, but Harry and Ron would also get busted for using it as well as not telling. No matter which way you look at it, someone would be in trouble up to their eyeballs."

"It was still reckless…" Minerva stated, but she let the matter drop.

**"****We know he's not coming in through Honeyduke's," said Ron dismissively. "We'd've heard if the shop had been broken into."**

**Harry was glad Ron took this view. If the one-eyed witch was boarded up too, he would never be able to go into Hogsmeade again.**

**Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry,**

"Bet he loved all that attention," Mad-Eye said in his usual gruff voice.

**and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. Though still severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened, with a wealth of detail.**

"It sounds like all that happened was Sirius opening the curtains, Ron woke up and saw him before he screamed," Tonks said. "So how come he's got a lot of details?"

"You know how boys are," Molly explained while she shrugged. "They have a tendency to exaggerate and add things to make it sound more exciting."

"Well, it's good if you can remember a lot of details!" Moody growled. "A lot of Death Eaters manage to escape justice just because no one could remember enough details!"

"That," Sirius grumbled, "Or there weren't any more witnesses left to give the details."

**"… ****I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draft… I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down… I rolled over… and I saw him standing over me… like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair… holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches… and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered.**

**"****Why, though?" Ron added to Harry as the group of second year girls who had been listening to his chilling tale departed. "Why did he run?"**

"Because I'm not there to kill anyone," Sirius said before he hissed to Remus, "Except for that filthy, traitoring rat."

Remus gave him a sympathetic look and gave him a playful push in the arm to silently let him know that he understood.

**Harry had been wondering the same thing. Why had Black, having got the wrong bed, not silenced Ron and proceeded to Harry?** **Black had proved twelve years ago that he didn't mind murdering innocent people, and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys, four of whom were asleep.**

Sirius leaned forward and buried his face in his hands again.

"Sirius," Remus said quickly, "We all know that you would never hurt Harry or any of the others!"

"Yeah, well, Harry did didn't he?!" Sirius moaned back, "This is torture listening to him thinking I'm trying to kill him."

"Well," Tonks said in a would-be-cheerful tone with a punch to his shoulder. "He knows now that wasn't what you were trying to do."

"True," Sirius granted.

**"****He must've known he'd have a job getting back out of the castle once you'd yelled and woken people up," said Harry thoughtfully. "He'd've had to kill the whole house to get back through the portrait hole… then he would've met the teachers…"**

**Neville was in total disgrace.**

**Professor McGonagall was so furious with him she had banned him from all future Hogsmeade visits, given him a detention, and forbidden anyone to give him the password into the tower. **

"I hope I get to apologize for that someday," Sirius said, wincing a bit from guilt.

"Minerva!" Molly cried in surprise. "How is he supposed to get into the common room and to his dorm?"

"I did think that Sirius was after Harry at the time, and was just doing my job to make sure that he stayed safe," she said sternly.

"But what if I showed up outside the portrait again?" Sirius asked with a bit of a wicked grin. "I mean, if I _was_ after Harry, which I wasn't, then Neville could've been trapped outside and met me?"

Kingsley thought that Minerva was going to faint—at least judging from how white she had suddenly turned and decided that it was for her own safety to keep reading.

**Poor Neville was forced to wait outside the common room every night for somebody to let him in, while the security trolls leered unpleasantly at him. None of these punishments, however, came close to matching the one his grandmother had in store for him. Two days after Black's break-in, she sent Neville the very worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast — a Howler.**

"Oh, come on!" Sirius groaned, smacking the arm of his chair. "Getting a Howler is something to be proud of! Every time I got one from mother dearest I would stand up with pride and take a few bows before I sat down."

"Because you enjoyed making her angry," Remus reminded him with an air of amusement. "But I know that Neville wanted to make his family proud of him, so I can imagine how painful their disappointment must've been for him."

Sirius thought that over and nodded, "Ok, I can get that… boy, I sure made a hard time for him didn't I?" He looked back at Albus and Minerva and asked, "You did let him off the hook didn't you?"

Albus nodded. "Once you told me everything, I was able to persuade Minerva to allow him into Hogsmeade again—and to be given the password of course…"

"He was taken aback, but pleased," Minerva said awkwardly. "If I had known that…"

"Don't be too hard on the kid," Sirius stated, "It was my fault anyway… maybe I should send him an apology note or something?"

"Yeah," Tonks chuckled. "That's a good idea… send a kid a note that says _'I'm sorry'_ from a supposed mass murderer. I think you would just scare the poor guy."

"That would be a good prank now that I think about it…" Sirius said with an evil grin. "Maybe I could send something like that to Malfoy and…"

"Ok," Kingsley said waving his hands at them. "That's enough. Sirius, you can come up with ideas for revenge later." Sirius grunted, but looked on dreamily at the thought of sending Malfoy a note like that…

**The school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail as usual, and Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, a scarlet envelope clutched in its beak. Harry and Ron, who were sitting opposite him, recognized the letter as a Howler at once — Ron had got one from his mother the year before.**

Tonks burst out laughing. "That's right! When they stole the car and flew it to school!"

"I still miss that car," Arthur said sadly and Molly's eyes narrowed a little but didn't say anything.

The others all smirked at the memories and Sirius couldn't stop himself from saying, "I still think that was brilliant! That's sure to become something of a Hogwarts legend!"

"We do hear about it every year," Minerva admitted unwillingly and Sirius cheered happily.

**"****Run for it, Neville," Ron advised.**

**Neville didn't need telling twice. He seized the envelope, and holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the hall, while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him. **

"Why am I not surprised?" Tonks asked grumpily. She was once again glad that Snape wasn't here to defend his snakes… it often became annoying when you couldn't insult someone who deserved it with Snape lurking around.

**They heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall — Neville's grandmother's voice, magically magnified to a hundred times its usual volume, shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family.**

"Harsh," Sirius said uneasily. "Now I really owe the kid an apology."

"At the least," Tonks said.

**Harry was too busy feeling sorry for Neville to notice immediately that he had a letter too. Hedwig got his attention by nipping him sharply on the wrist.**

**"****Ouch! Oh — thanks, Hedwig."**

**Harry tore open the envelope while Hedwig helped herself to some of Neville's cornflakes. The note inside said:**

_**Dear Harry and Ron,**_

_**How about having tea with me this afternoon 'round six? I'll come collect you from the castle. WAIT FOR ME IN THE ENTRANCE HALL; YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED OUT ON YOUR OWN.**_

_**Cheers,**_

_**Hagrid**_

"Hagrid?" said Arthur in mild surprise.

"What does he want?" Molly asked.

"I think it might have something to do with Buckbeak's case," Remus offered hesitantly.

"Oh, don't tell me they forgot all about helping Hagrid!" Molly moaned.

**"****He probably wants to hear all about Black!" said Ron.**

"Or that…" Sirius spat grumpily.

"No," Kingsley said, as he turned the page. "I don't think that's all of it."

**So at six o'clock that afternoon, Harry and Ron left Gryffindor Tower, passed the security trolls at a run, and headed down to the entrance hall.**

**Hagrid was already waiting for them.**

**"****All right, Hagrid!" said Ron. "S'pose you want to hear about Saturday night, do you?"**

**"I've already heard all abou' it," said Hagrid, opening the front doors and leading them outside.**

**"****Oh," said Ron, looking slightly put out.**

"Good," Mad-Eye said yawning. "Don't want him to get over-confident now do we? Getting full of yourself only leads to disaster."

"Come on and be nice for once, Mad-Eye," Tonks informed him.

"I was being _'nice'_," he grumbled.

"I guess," she confessed before she added in a undertone, "Usually you're a lot meaner than that."

**The first thing they saw on entering Hagrid's cabin was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on top of Hagrid's patchwork quilt, his enormous wings folded tight to his body, enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets. Averting his eyes from this unpleasant sight, Harry saw a gigantic, hairy brown suit and a very horrible yellow-and-orange tie hanging from the top of Hagrid's wardrobe door.**

"There's Hagrid's ah… unique fashion statement!" Tonks said happily.

"Really?" Mad-Eye asked her as he eyed her now bright yellow hair. "I think you're the last person to be talking about a sense of fashion."

Tonks glared at him and before she could start yelling, Kingsley read on—with a smile at these two…

**"****What are they for, Hagrid?" said Harry.**

**"****Buckbeak's case against the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures," said Hagrid. "This Friday. Him an' me'll be goin' down ter London together. I've booked two beds on the Knight Bus…"**

"They _did_ forget about helping him," Molly groaned.

"Oops," Sirius said.

**Harry felt a nasty pang of guilt. He had completely forgotten that Buckbeak's trial was so near, and judging by the uneasy look on Ron's face, he had too. They had also forgotten their promise about helping him prepare Buckbeak's defense; the arrival of the Firebolt had driven it clean out of their minds.**

"That makes sense," Sirius said idly.

"I think your broom had caused more harm than good, Sirius," Kingsley said.

"Don't you start now!"

**Hagrid poured them tea and offered them a plate of Bath buns but they knew better than to accept; they had had too much experience with Hagrid's cooking.**

**"****I got somethin' ter discuss with you two," said Hagrid, sitting himself between them and looking uncharacteristically serious.**

**"****What?" said Harry.**

**"****Hermione," said Hagrid.**

"Good," Minerva said folding her arms. "I'd been wondering when someone would talk some sense into them." She had hated seeing one of her all-time favorite students alone for those few weeks. She had tried a few times to talk to the poor girl, but she always insisted that she was just tired and nothing was wrong.

She was suddenly wishing that she had done more for her.

**"****What about her?" said Ron.**

Tonks let out a noise in her throat that sounded like a cross between a snarl and a hiss. "Could he be any more of a prat?"

"That's how some little boys are," Arthur stated grimly. "They may act rude to their friends, but they're the first ones to jump in and defend them if they're in trouble."

"He really needs to learn a thing or two about how to be mindful of other people's emotions," Tonks said plainly

**"She's in a righ' state, that's what. She's bin comin' down ter visit me a lot since Chris'mas. Bin feelin' lonely. Firs' yeh weren' talking to her because o' the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' to her because her cat —"**

**"– ate Scabbers!" Ron interjected angrily.**

**"****Because her cat acted like all cats do," Hagrid continued doggedly. "She's cried a fair few times, yeh know. **

"Oh…" Molly sighed sadly. She had all that work to do, and her best friends weren't talking to her… she couldn't imagine someone being that alone.

**Goin' through a rough time at the moment. Bitten off more'n she can chew, if yeh ask me, all the work she's tryin' ter do. Still found time ter help me with Buckbeak's case, mind… She's found some really good stuff fer me… reckon he'll stand a good chance now…"**

"Not with Malfoy senior there pulling everyone's strings," Arthur spat, his eyes narrowing.

"That girl has to be some kind of miracle worker," Kingsley said shaking his head in amazement. "How on earth did she manage all that work?"

**"****Hagrid, we should've helped as well — sorry —" Harry began awkwardly.**

"They all better admit that they're wrong and should make up," Minerva and Molly both said, disappointed that the boys would put a broomstick and a rat before their friend's needs—and that Hermione was too proud to acknowledge that she made a mistake. Hopefully, all three of them will swallow their pride and apologize soon.

**"I'm not blamin' yeh!" said Hagrid, waving Harry's apology aside. "Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be getting' on with. **

"So does Hermione, but she still managed to find some information for Buckbeak's case even though she has five times the workload!" Molly said.

**I've seen yeh practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night — but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all."**

"Definitely more than _that_ rat," Sirius muttered. "I hope they get back together after this. Or at the least, talk to each other. It just doesn't seem right when the three of them aren't together."

"I hope they at least listen to Hagrid," Tonks grumbled as everyone else nodded at what Sirius said. After all, they were the trio… the three of them were an almost an unbeatable team. It's hard to picture two of them… or even just one of them on their own.

**Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks.**

**"****Really upset, she was, when Black nearly stabbed yeh, Ron. **

"I never tried to stab him!" Sirius cried out quickly when Arthur and Molly both glared at him. "Really! Yeah, I had a knife, but I was never going to use it on a kid!"

"Still don't see why you were there in the first place," Molly hissed under her breath.

**She's got her heart in the right place, Hermione has, an' you two not talkin' to her —"**

**"****If she'd just get rid of that cat, I'd speak to her again!" Ron said angrily. "But she's still sticking up for it! It's a maniac, and she won't hear a word against it!"**

"Look who's talking," Tonks said grumpily. "What's he doing with that rat of his? The filthy hypocrite."

**"****Ah, well, people can be a bit stupid abou' their pets," said Hagrid wisely.**

Kingsley stopped reading there for a few seconds, letting the silence ring around them. They all shared exasperated looks. _Hagrid_ of all people was giving advice about pets?

"Too bad he doesn't realize that he's one of them," Mad-Eye muttered darkly.

"Actually, I think he does," Sirius stated with a hallow laugh. "He should know better than anyone what it's like to be stupid about your pet. Considering that he got expelled because of a giant spider, had a giant three-headed-dog named Fluffy… and to top it all off, gave a _dragon_ a teddy bear. He would know how stupid people can be about their pets."

"We really need to have that talk with him about the difference between monsters and pets," Minerva said to Albus as he shook his head in silent laughter.

"Hagrid is Hagrid," he said contentedly. "He just wouldn't be himself without a few monsters around the place, but I think that we should do something to ah… restrict the types of monsters he's allowed to have."

**Behind him, Buckbeak spat a few ferret bones onto Hagrid's pillow.**

**They spent the rest of their visit discussing Gryffindor's improved chances for the Quidditch Cup. At nine o'clock, Hagrid walked them back up to the castle.**

**A large group of people was bunched around the bulletin board when they returned to the common room.**

"What's happening now?" Tonks asked interestedly.

**"****Hogsmeade, next weekend!" said Ron, craning over the heads to read the new notice. "What d'you reckon?" he added quietly to Harry as they went to sit down.**

"He better not be suggesting what I think he's suggesting," Molly warned.

"Do you even have to ask?" Sirius smirked, and she just shook her head in surrender, not knowing why she bothered anymore.

**"****Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passage into Honeydukes…" Harry said, even more quietly.**

**"****Harry!" said a voice in his right ear. Harry started and looked around at Hermione, who was sitting at the table right behind them and clearing a space in the wall of books that had been hiding her.**

**"****Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again… I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!" said Hermione.**

"Maybe, just maybe… that was _not_ the smartest thing to say," Remus said worriedly. "I really don't think that's the best way to make them listen to reason."

"She's got her heart in the right place," Albus sighed. "But I think that she could've found another way to say that."

**"****Can you hear someone talking, Harry?" growled Ron, not looking at Hermione.**

**"Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I'll tell —"**

"She's just adding more fuel to the fire," Mad-Eye said obviously.

**"****So now you're trying to get Harry expelled!" said Ron furiously. "Haven't you done enough damage this year?"**

**Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but with a soft hiss, Crookshanks leapt onto her lap. Hermione took one frightened look at the expression on Ron's face, gathered up Crookshanks, and hurried away toward the girls' dormitories.**

"Poor thing," Molly sighed miserably. "I see that Severus isn't the only person who holds onto a grudge."

"Something he needs to work on," Kingsley nodded. "If Ron's not careful, he could end up like Snape."

Sirius shivered at that. He had always liked Ron most out of the Weasley brothers—even the twins—because Ron reminded him a little bit of himself when he was younger. And to hear that he might be as cold as Snape someday if he doesn't learn to let go of bitterness… he would have to have give him a few warnings the next time he saw him.

**"****So how about it?" Ron said to Harry as though there had been no interruption. "Come on, last time we went you didn't see anything. You haven't even been inside Zonko's yet!"**

**Harry looked around to check that Hermione was well out of earshot.**

**"****Okay," he said. "But I'm taking the Invisibility Cloak this time."**

Everyone but Sirius and Tonks sighed and shook their heads.

"Well, look at it this way," Tonks said. "Harry wasn't sure if he should go, and it was Ron who talked him into it."

"Not helping Tonks," Arthur said.

**On Saturday morning, Harry packed his Invisibility Cloak in his bag, slipped the Marauder's Map into his pocket, and went down to breakfast with everyone else. Hermione kept shooting suspicious looks down the table at him, but he avoided her eye and was careful to let her see him walking back up the marble staircase in the entrance hall as everybody else proceeded to the front doors.**

**"****Bye!" Harry called to Ron. "See you when you get back!"**

"Right," Kingsley said with a light laugh, as Mad-Eye shook his head in frustration. "No one will be suspicious at all."

**Ron grinned and winked.**

**Harry hurried up to the third floor, slipping the Marauder's Map out of his pocket as he went. Crouching behind the one-eyed witch, he smoothed it out. A tiny dot was moving in his direction. Harry squinted at it. The minuscule writing next to it read Neville Longbottom.**

"You can't ask for worse timing!" Sirius groaned. He wanted to hear how his godson had been sneaking out and having fun! Just like how he and James used to do all the time! How many times does Harry get to act like a kid and break the rules for enjoyment? Why was everyone so determine to keep him locked up?

He blinked at that last thought. He wasn't sure if he was talking about Harry or himself just there. He shook his head hard and forced himself to keep listening and not to dwell on his own imprisonment. At least he was able to give Harry permission to go now. That was his only saving grace.

**Harry quickly pulled out his wand, muttered, "Dissendium!" and shoved his bag into the statue, but before he could climb in himself, Neville came around the corner.**

**"****Harry! I forgot you weren't going to Hogsmeade either!"**

**"****Hi, Neville," said Harry, moving swiftly away from the statue and pushing the map back into his pocket. "What are you up to?"**

**"****Nothing," shrugged Neville. "Want a game of Exploding Snap?"**

"Yes, go back up and forget about it!" Molly moaned. She knew that there was no point in trying… but she couldn't help it.

**"****Er — not now — I was going to go to the library and do that vampire essay for Lupin —"**

"Aww," groaned Sirius. "He should've just brought Neville along! I bet that he would've enjoyed himself."

"Oh, no!" Minerva said sternly. "He was already in enough trouble! If he got caught, then he would've…"

"OK! OK!" Sirius said, holding up his hands in defense. "I get it! You don't need to shout at me! I was just kidding!"

She flared her nostrils in doubt before she leaned back and waited for the story to go on.

**"****I'll come with you!" said Neville brightly. "I haven't done it either!"**

"Not good…" Tonks sang.

**"****Er — hang on — yeah, I forgot, I finished it last night!"**

**"****Great, you can help me!" said Neville, his round face anxious. "I don't understand that thing about the garlic at all — do they have to eat it, or —"**

"Not quite," Remus couldn't help but say. They all suspected that it had something to do with his teaching side that made it impossible for him not to answer a student's question. "It's the smell of garlic that vampires can't stand. Of course, if they are tricked into eating some then it becomes almost like a poison to them."

"Thank you, Professor Moony," Tonks smiled at him which caused him to turn red when he realized what he said.

"You really should reconsider re-taking the job, Remus," Albus said smiling. "Believe me when I tell you that Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't the only ones who were sorry to see you go."

"I'll take your word for it, Albus," Remus stated, but a part of him couldn't help but feel as if Dumbledore was yanking his chain about this. "But I already told you that parents wouldn't want… someone like me… teaching their children…"

"Oh, forget them!" Tonks said laying her head on his shoulder, which caused him to blush so red that he looked like a tomato. "You're the best teacher they've ever had! Aren't these books teaching you anything?"

"And besides," Minerva said. "Anyone is better than having Umbridge," she hissed out that name as if it was toxic, "Watching the students every move."

**He broke off with a small gasp, looking over Harry's shoulder.**

**It was Snape.**

"Of course the greasy git is there!" Sirius yelled, once again, savoring Snapes' absence from the room. "Can't he ever keep his huge nose out of other people's business?"

**Neville took a quick step behind Harry.**

**"****And what are you two doing here?" said Snape, coming to a halt and looking from one to the other. "An odd place to meet —"**

**To Harry's immense disquiet, Snape's black eyes flicked to the doorways on either side of them, and then to the one-eyed witch.**

"Don't tell me that he actually knew about the passageway!" Sirius hissed in suppressed fury.

"Actually," Kingsley reminded him. "I think that he _might_ know about it now."

Sirius gave him a dark look. "Why did we have to have him here during that chapter? But did he know about the passageway back then?"

"I think that he might've had some idea," Remus stated, "After all, the four of us used to hang around there all the time. I think that he might've had some flashbacks when he saw the two of them standing there."

"Just Harry's luck," Tonks stated.

**"****We're not — meeting here," said Harry. "We just — met here."**

**"****Indeed?" said Snape. "You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places, Potter, and you are very rarely there for no good reason… I suggest the pair of you return to Gryffindor Tower, where you belong."**

"He's kinda the last person to be telling people where they belong," Sirius whispered to himself, remembering how Snape had spent most of his free time sneaking after him and James and hoping that he could get them in trouble. "Greasy git couldn't help but follow people around, hoping to get them in trouble and get them expelled."

**Harry and Neville set off without another word. As they turned the corner, Harry looked back. Snape was running one of his hands over the one-eyed witch's head, examining it closely.**

**Harry managed to shake Neville off at the Fat Lady by telling him the password, then pretending he'd left his vampire essay in the library and doubling back.**

"I hope he was at least polite to him before he ran off," Molly couldn't help but say.

"I think the real problem is trying to be convincing," Mad-Eye growled. "The boy is too honest for his own good."

"What's wrong with that?" Kingsley asked him.

"I mean that it's going to get him in trouble one of these days!" Mad-Eye barked.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "Harry needs to learn how to come up with a good story when he gets caught."

"Doesn't he get into enough trouble?" Minerva had to ask him.

"I mean the good kind of trouble!" Sirius informed her.

"How can trouble be good?!" Molly and Minerva demanded.

"Oh, come on!" Sirius yawned, waving his hand at them. "A prank or two is good for everyone! You both should try it sometimes."

Kingsley decided to spare Sirius's life and read on a little louder and faster.

**Once out of sight of the security trolls, he pulled out the map again and held it close to his nose.**

**The third floor corridor seemed to be deserted. Harry scanned the map carefully and saw, with a leap of relief, that the tiny dot labeled Severus Snape was now back in its office.**

"Come on, Harry!" Sirius cheered to himself. "This is your only chance!"

**He sprinted back to the one-eyed witch, opened her hump, heaved himself inside, and slid down to meet his bag at the bottom of the stone chute. He wiped the Marauder's Map blank again, then set off at a run.**

**Harry, completely hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, emerged into the sunlight outside Honeydukes and prodded Ron in the back.**

"That's my boy," Sirius grinned widely. Finally, he gets to see his godson have fun in Hogsmeade! He suddenly remembered Harry's last trip into the village and gulped; he could only hope this one would be better than the last.

**"****It's me," he muttered.**

**"****What kept you?" Ron hissed.**

**"****Snape was hanging around."**

**They set off up the High Street.**

**"****Where are you?" Ron kept muttering out of the corner of his mouth. "Are you still there? This feels weird…"**

"Don't I know it," Remus said fondly to Sirius, who was grinning back. "I can't remember all the times that you and James would hide under it and sneak around the place, hoping to trip people up. It was so weird trying to talk to you… I was never sure I was looking at you or not."

"People thought that you were talking to yourself," Sirius laughed. "I remember. They were thinking you were going mad."

"I'd love to hear some of those stories if you don't mind," Tonks smiled at Remus as she hugged his arm. "You have to be something else to have survived being friends with a teenage Sirius." Remus had just turned to an entirely new shade of red as he gently tried to pry Tonks's fingers off his arm.

Noticing this, everyone else grinned at him… except for Mad-Eye who was shaking his head in annoyance. Before Remus could find a way to loosen Tonks from him, Sirius asked Kingsley to keep going.

**They went to the post office; Ron pretended to be checking the price of an owl to Bill in Egypt so that Harry could have a good look around. The owls sat hooting softly down at him, at least three hundred of them; from Great Grays right down to tiny little Scops owls ("Local Deliveries Only"), which were so small they could have sat in the palm of Harry's hand.**

"Oh, cute!" Tonks cooed as she shut her eyes dreamily. "What do you think, Professor Moony?"

"Ah… ah… I well…" Remus didn't seem to remember how to speak as he tried fruitlessly to pull her off him.

Sirius thought his face was going to split in two from how wide he was grinning at the couple. This was too great. He sighed, now if only Moony would just suck it up and ask her out.

**Then they visited Zonko's, which was so packed with students Harry had to exercise great care not to tread on anyone and cause a panic. There were jokes and tricks to fulfill even Fred's and George's wildest dreams; **

"Ah, yes," Sirius said dreamily. "Where I spent most of my childhood."

"Your misspent youth," Remus said a little stiffly, still uncomfortable having Tonks's hugging his arm like a little kid. He had finally admitted defeat and just let her hang on. Though even through his resolve he couldn't deny that he secretly loved it whenever she touched him.

**Harry gave Ron whispered orders and passed him some gold from under the cloak. They left Zonko's with their money bags considerably lighter than they had been on entering, but their pockets bulging with Dungbombs, Hiccup Sweets, Frog Spawn Soap, and a Nose-Biting Teacup apiece.**

Sirius sighed. "I see not much has changed since then," he said in disappointment. "I had been hoping that they had come up with something new products then when we were in school."

**The day was fine and breezy, and neither of them felt like staying indoors, so they walked past the Three Broomsticks and climbed a slope to visit the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted dwelling in Britain. **

"Haunted?" Sirius snorted. "Sure it is. What do you think, Moony?"

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about," Remus smirked back.

**It stood a little way above the rest of the village, and even in daylight was slightly creepy, with its boarded windows and dank overgrown garden.**

**"****Even the Hogwarts ghosts avoid it," said Ron as they leaned on the fence, looking up at it. "I asked Nearly Headless Nick… he says he's heard a very rough crowd lives here. No one can get in. Fred and George tried, obviously, but all the entrances are sealed shut…"**

"They tried to get in!?" Molly said worriedly.

"Ok, now we know that Fred and George have a reputation for being able to break into or out of almost anything," Kingsley said, remembering when they broke Harry out of Number 4 in the last book. "Which means…" he looked at Albus and finished by saying, "That there is some very powerful magic sealing the shack."

"I place many different spells to keep anyone from entering," Albus said, nodding his head once. "I didn't want to take any chances. The only way that anyone could get in is through the secret passageway under the Whomping Willow."

"Don't worry, Molly," Remus assured her. "Even if they did find a way to break in, there's nothing in there that can hurt them… at least not anymore."

**Harry, feeling hot from their climb, was just considering taking off the cloak for a few minutes when they heard voices nearby. Someone was climbing toward the house from the other side of the hill; moments later, Malfoy had appeared, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy was speaking.**

"Oh great," Sirius said sarcastically. "Just the very people they wanted to see. They can't catch a break can they?"

"They do have terrible luck don't they?" Arthur said needlessly.

**"… ****should have an owl from Father any time now. He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm… about how I couldn't use it for three months…"**

**Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.**

**"****I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself… 'There's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest —'… That Hippogriff's as good as dead —"**

"That horrible, little…" Molly began furiously.

"I wish that someone would hurry up and punch him," Sirius whispered to Remus and Tonks. "I'll shake the hand of whoever does it."

**Malfoy suddenly caught sight of Ron. His pale face split in a malevolent grin.**

**"****What are you doing, Weasley?"**

"Is it a crime to be there, Malfoy?" Sirius asked with mock seriousness. "If so, then dear daddy won't be too happy to hear that you've been sneaking around up there too."

"I don't know how much more of this brat I can take," Mad-Eye agreed. "I can't stand people who can't stand up for themselves without making someone else do it for them." He then grinned evilly. "That kid is going to have a nasty wake-up call when he finally realizes that the world doesn't revolve around him."

"I'd love to see the look on his face when he does," Sirius smiled at the thought.

**Malfoy looked up at the crumbling house behind Ron.**

**"****Suppose you'd love to live here, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room — is that true?"**

**Harry seized the back of Ron's robes to stop him from leaping on Malfoy.**

**"****Leave him to me," he hissed in Ron's ear.**

"Yes!" Sirius said, punching the air in excitement while several of them laughed at how ecstatic he was. "There's the Marauder genes I was looking for! This should be good."

Everyone leaned in, wanting to hear more.

**The opportunity was too perfect to miss. Harry crept silently around behind Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, bent down, and scooped a large handful of mud out of the path.**

"No!" Arthur laughed, shaking his head. "He didn't…"

"Oh, yes he did!" Sirius grinned widely again. "That's my boy."

**"****We were just discussing your friend Hagrid," Malfoy said to Ron. "Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his Hippogriff's —"**

**SPLAT!**

"And so Karma strikes again!" Sirius roared with laughter before he stopped suddenly and looked over at Remus. "Why didn't we ever think of that?"

"You prefer to over-do everything," Remus reminding him. "You failed to learn that sometimes, simpler is better."

**Malfoy's head jerked forward as the mud hit him; his silver blond hair was suddenly dripping in muck.**

The whole room burst into laughter; except for Albus who had a bright twinkle in his eyes from amusement. Though, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Draco, he also couldn't help but agree that Draco had been asking for it… And for Mad-Eye, he only had an evil grin on his face—clearly enjoying the justice here.

"I wish that Ron thought to take a picture," Sirius choked out once he finished roaring with laughter. He wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. "Those boys make me so proud!"

**"****What the —?"**

**Ron had to hold onto the fence to keep himself standing, he was laughing so hard. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle spun stupidly on the spot, staring wildly around, Malfoy trying to wipe his hair clean.**

"He's already filthy!" Sirius shouted out joyfully. "Anyone with the last name Malfoy is rotten to the core."

"I second that statement," Arthur declared, still furious with Malfoy senior.

**"****What was that? Who did that?"**

**"****Very haunted up here, isn't it?" said Ron, with the air of one commenting on the weather.**

"Brilliant," Sirius cheered. "That should scare them! I wish I thought of doing that."

"Like I said, Padfoot," Remus said smiling serenely. "You just needed to learn that sometimes, simpler is better. You didn't have to over-do it."

"If it was worth doing," Sirius told him, "Then it was worth over-doing. Good memories… if nothing else."

**Crabbe and Goyle were looking scared. Their bulging muscles were no use against ghosts. Malfoy was staring madly around at the deserted landscape.**

**Harry sneaked along the path, where a particularly sloppy puddle yielded some foul-smelling, green sludge.**

"Oh, yes, Harry, do it!" applauded Sirius. "Show him whose top dog!"

**SPLATTER!**

**Crabbe and Goyle caught some this time. Goyle hopped furiously on the spot, trying to rub it out of his small, dull eyes.**

**"****It came from over there!" said Malfoy, wiping his face, and staring at a spot some six feet to the left of Harry.**

**Crabbe blundered forward, his long arms outstretched like a zombie. **

"Great," Tonks said cheerfully. "Now he walks like a zombie besides just having the brain of one."

Albus shook his head, now feeling a little annoyed at the constant insults to his students. He looked over at Minerva, and he could see that she also was frowning very slightly. But neither one could deny that these kids were certainly acting rotten.

**Harry dodged around him, picked up a stick, and lobbed it at Crabbe's back. Harry doubled up with silent laughter as Crabbe did a kind of pirouette in midair,**

'_Oh, now he's a dancer?'_ Mad-Eye rolled his magical eye. It spun around and fixed itself on Tonks who was still attached to Lupin's side. Lupin now trying hard to conceal a smile. Mad-Eye had noticed the two of them growing closer together, and to be honest, he wasn't so sure about it. Not that he had anything against Lupin… but knowing him… he could probably break her heart later on out of fear. As much as she annoyed him, Mad-Eye was protective of all of his young Aurors.

**trying to see who had thrown it. As Ron was the only person Crabbe could see, it was Ron he started toward, but Harry stuck out his leg. Crabbe stumbled — and his huge, flat foot caught the hem of Harry's cloak. Harry felt a great tug, then the cloak slid off his face.**

Silence once again entered the room, the others not looking the slightest bit amused now. This couldn't end well.

**For a split second, Malfoy stared at him.**

**"****AAARGH!" he yelled, pointing at Harry's head. Then he turned tail and ran, at breakneck speed, back down the hill, Crabbe and Goyle behind him.**

"He needs to get back to the castle," Arthur said unnecessary.

"Even if he was already at Honeydukes," Sirius explained worriedly, "Malfoy would get back before him. He'd have to think of some kind of excuse or…"

"I think that it'll work out," Remus said, calming down a little, suddenly having a good idea to what was about to happen now. "Let's wait and see what happens."

**Harry tugged the cloak up again, but the damage was done.**

**"****Harry!" Ron said, stumbling forward and staring hopelessly at the point where Harry had disappeared, "you'd better run for it! If Malfoy tells anyone — you'd better get back to the castle, quick —"**

**"****See you later," said Harry, and without another word, he tore back down the path toward Hogsmeade.**

**Would Malfoy believe what he had seen? Would anyone believe Malfoy? Nobody knew about the Invisibility Cloak — nobody except Dumbledore. Harry's stomach turned over — Dumbledore would know exactly what had happened, if Malfoy said anything —**

"I don't think that he would have to worry about you, Sir," Remus said thoughtfully.

Albus looked mildly surprise and shook his head. "No, I would never expel Harry. Though I would have to ask how he got into the village and make sure that he wouldn't try it again… also, I might've had to confiscate the map if I found out about it. But I never even heard of this incident. Young Draco hadn't said a word to me about seeing Harry in Hogsmeade during this year."

"Isn't it obvious?" Mad-Eye asked annoyed. "He's going to go whine to Snape."

"That doesn't help matters," Tonks reminded them.

**Back into Honeydukes, back down the cellar steps, across the stone floor, through the trapdoor — Harry pulled off the cloak, tucked it under his arm, and ran, flat out, along the passage… Malfoy would get back first… how long would it take him to find a teacher? Panting, a sharp pain in his side, Harry didn't slow down until he reached the stone slide. He would have to leave the cloak where it was, it was too much of a giveaway in case Malfoy had tipped off a teacher — **

"He could've hidden under it and snuck back to the common room," Tonks suggested.

"The damage had already been done," Kingsley and Arthur said at the same time. Kingsley raised his eyebrows at Arthur in a light-hearted way before finishing, "What if he had been caught? The cloak would've been confiscated as well as the map."

Sirius shuddered at that. No, that was too horrible to imagine. The Invisibility Cloak… the best friend of all trouble-makers… in the hands of a teacher like Snape? Oh, that is the very blackest kind of blasphemy.

**he hid it in a shadowy corner, then started to climb, fast as he could, his sweaty hands slipping on the sides of the chute. He reached the inside of the witch's hump, tapped it with his wand, stuck his head through, and hoisted himself out; the hump closed, and just as Harry jumped out from behind the statue, he heard quick footsteps approaching.**

**It was Snape. **

"Things just keep getting better and better," Tonks said with heavy sarcasm.

"Is someone out to get my godson?" Sirius couldn't help but ask the ceiling. "Why not leave him alone? What's with all this bad luck? One after another?"

**He approached Harry at a swift walk, his black robes swishing, then stopped in front of him.**

**"****So," he said.**

**There was a look of suppressed triumph about him. Harry tried to look innocent, all too aware of his sweaty face and his muddy hands, which he quickly hid in his pockets.**

"His innocent face always looks like he's guilty of something," Minerva exclaimed.

"That's true," Albus agreed. "Harry's like an open book when it comes to his feelings."

"So why are you having such trouble reading it lately?" Sirius muttered to himself, still angry at Dumbledore for his treatment of his godson since last summer.

**"****Come with me, Potter," said Snape.**

**Harry followed him downstairs, trying to wipe his hands clean on the inside of his robes without Snape noticing. They walked down the stairs to the dungeons and then into Snape's office.**

**Harry had been in here only once before, and he had been in very serious trouble then too. Snape had acquired a few more slimy horrible things in jars since last time, all standing on shelves behind his desk, glinting in the firelight and adding to the threatening atmosphere.**

"His office is horrid, yes," Minerva agreed with a grimace. "But I think that it's much better than having lacey kittens on pink walls." She wrinkled her nose in disgust as Tonks laughed.

"How are kittens worse than having slimy—who-knows-what—pickled in jars?" she asked grinning.

"You have no idea," Minerva said, having seen Umbridge's office once before and vowed never to go in there ever again there. That office had given her nightmares and she had an urge to vomit just thinking about it.

**"****Sit," said Snape.**

**Harry sat. Snape, however, remained, standing.**

"Trying to make it seem like he's superior," Sirius said in revulsion. "Come on! Making Harry sit while you stand doesn't make you seem like you're a better person. Harry's ten times the person that greasy git will ever be."

"Sirius," Albus said wearily. He was very tired of all these constant insults and threats going around. If this kept up, he would have to consider if they were ready to read these books.

**"****Mr. Malfoy has just been to see me with a strange story, Potter," said Snape.**

**Harry didn't say anything.**

**"****He tells me that he was up by the Shrieking Shack when he ran into Weasley — apparently alone."**

**Still, Harry didn't speak.**

"Good," Sirius grimaced. "If he keeps that up, maybe Snape'll get bored and go away."

Several of them snorted, and Tonks buried her face in Remus's shoulder in glee. Remus looked even more startled than ever, but not even he could stop the pleased smile on his face, or the shine added to his eyes as he looked at her comfortable face.

That cute little image brought yet another smile back to Sirius's face and was able to relax a little bit more as he listened to Kingsley continue.

**"****Mr. Malfoy states that he was standing talking to Weasley, **

"More like insulting Ron and was trying to pick a fight," Arthur growled, his eyes turned to narrow slits. Just once shot at Lucius… just one chance to get him for something… he would kill for that. He glanced sadly at Molly when he felt her take his hand in a comforting way.

**when a large amount of mud hit him in the back of the head. How do you think that could have happened?"**

"And here I thought Snape was the 'teacher'," Sirius hissed in bitterness. Did he really think that threatening and harassing kids made him better than anyone else? It was one thing when kids did that to each other, but Snape was supposed to be the adult. Can't he let go of his old resentments to see that he's acting like the arrogant and big-headed than anyone else? He wished that Dumbledore would wake up and just fire him already. He was sure that the kids would be much happier with the over-grown bat gone.

**Harry tried to look mildly surprised.**

**"****I don't know, Professor."**

**Snape's eyes were boring into Harry's. It was exactly like trying to stare down a Hippogriff. Harry tried hard not to blink.**

"Actually, after living Buckbeak for almost two years, I have to say that a Hippogriff is far better company!" Sirius stated merrily.

"He shouldn't look straight at him," Mad-Eye growled, remembering that Snape was a master at Legilimency and would easily been able to see what happened. "By not blinking Potter is just admitting what happened."

**"****Mr. Malfoy then saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been, Potter?"**

**"No," said Harry, now trying to sound innocently curious.**

"He better have made it convincing," Sirius groaned.

"He'll be fine," Remus assured him lightly and Tonks looked up at him in bright puzzlement before she grinned.

"You did something didn't you, Professor Moony?" she asked knowingly. Remus turned away, his face red once again at everyone's smiles at him.

Sirius put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Now there's a pal! At least someone is looking out for him."

Remus had to force himself to return the smile, remembering what was about to happen here. He knew that Sirius wasn't going to be thrilled when he found out he took the map.

**"****It was your head, Potter. Floating in midair."**

**There was a long silence.**

**"****Maybe he'd better go to Madam Pomfrey," said Harry. "If he's seeing things like —"**

"And there's Lily's cheek coming through once again," Remus said softly.

"At least he tried," Sirius shrugged, certainly more cheerful now that he knew that Remus was going to get Harry out of trouble.

**"****What would your head have been doing in Hogsmeade, Potter?" said Snape softly. "Your head is not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body has permission to be in Hogsmeade."**

**"****I know that," said Harry, striving to keep his face free of guilt or fear. "It sounds like Malfoy's having hallucin —"**

"He doesn't know when to give up does he?" Kingsley asked.

"That's something he got from James," Sirius added, remembering fondly how his best friend never gave up asking Lily out. If he did, then he wouldn't have his godson around now would he?

**"****Malfoy is not having hallucinations," snarled Snape, and he bent down, a hand on each arm of Harry's chair, so that their faces were a foot apart. "If your head was in Hogsmeade, so was the rest of you."**

**"****I've been up in Gryffindor Tower," said Harry. "Like you told —"**

**"****Can anyone confirm that?"**

"Oh, no," Tonks moaned, temporary forgetting what Remus said. "Maybe Neville could…?"

"He gets out of it doesn't he?" Mad-Eye asked irritated. "Why worry about it?"

"Oh, right," Tonks muttered as she cuddled closer to Remus's side, whose face was now burning so badly that you could've fried an egg on his forhead. He once again tried to gently pull her off, but she wasn't letting go anytime soon.

The others couldn't help but chuckle at their actions, finding hard to stay gloomy or angry with them acting like this.

**Harry didn't say anything. Snape's thin mouth curled into a horrible smile.**

**"****So," he said, straightening up again. "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."**

"For crying out loud!" Sirius growled. "Why doesn't he just shut up for once in his life? He's a kid. He's just a boy who was never allowed to have fun growing up! Of course he wants to go to Hogsmeade like everyone else. And stop bringing up that damn famous comment. Anyone who actually met Harry knows that he hates it!"

"Everyone but Snape that is," Remus muttered forlornly.

**Harry stayed silent. Snape was trying to provoke him into telling the truth. He wasn't going to do it. Snape had no proof — yet.**

**"****How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter," Snape said suddenly, his eyes glinting. "He too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch field made him think he was a cut above the rest of us too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers… The resemblance between you is uncanny."**

"Harry's personality is nothing like James's… well at least not about the strutting around the school part. Harry doesn't strut," Remus said as he glanced at Sirius's stony face. "He's James only in looks. I think that we've been over this before… he acts more like Lily than James, we all know that. Severus is just looking for someone to blame."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that Severus refuses to listen to himself. He sounds like an overgrown school-child wanting to get someone else in trouble," Molly muttered angrily. "There's no need to insult his father!"

"Also," Sirius stated, because this was bugging him almost as much as the insult to James. "I think that Snape's blind. Obviously, Harry doesn't have a _small_ amount of Quidditch talent! He's a talented Quidditch player just like James! Everyone says that he's the best Seeker Hogwarts ever had!" There was no denying the pride in his voice and he glared at them all as if daring them to disagree.

"I still don't understand why he can't even try to see that Harry isn't James," Molly said protectively. She loved that boy as if he was just another son, and to hear him insulted like this was hard to hear. "He just refuses to see pass the surface."

"Only because Severus is determined to make him James," Remus mumbled so lowly only Tonks could hear him and she gave his arm a little tighter squeeze as she pressed her forehead against him. Remus was wishing that she would let go… the electric charge between them was almost white-hot… and yet at the same time he feared the moment she did move away from him.

"Snape just another filthy hypocrite," Sirius barked. "If you want a prime example of strutting around the castle, why doesn't he just look at his _'favorite'_ student Malfoy? Those insults are the perfect description of that spoiled kid!"

**"****My dad didn't strut," said Harry, before he could stop himself. "And neither do I."**

Remus shook his head warmly… they all knew that James did strut.

"Well, he's half-right," Minerva said, looking straight at Sirius as she remembered the two of them parading around the school as if they owned the place.

Sirius felt her eyes on him and said, "I'll have you know that we only did it because Remus trusted us with his most important secret and no one else knew."

"Don't try to drag me into this," Remus warned him lightheartedly.

Sirius grinned back. "We were also the most popular boys in school… good at everything…"

"And modest I see," Arthur added sarcastically.

"Of course," Sirius added grinning. "I was about to say that next…"

**"****Your father didn't set much store by rules either," Snape went on, pressing his advantage, his thin face full of malice. "Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. His head was so swollen —"**

"SHUT UP!" roared Sirius, jumping to his feet and causing everyone else to jump in shock at his sudden hostility. "I can't believe that he's still angry at that. So this is his grudge? Why doesn't he take his hate out on me instead of blaming an innocent kid who had nothing to do with it?! I mean, Harry didn't even know what his father looked like until he went to school! How was he supposed to know all this stuff? Wait until I get my hands on that slimy, greasy-haired…"

It took some time for them to calm Sirius down. He didn't want to listen to anyone, he just wanted Snape here so that he could tear him apart limb by limb. It must've taken them at least 15 minutes to get him back in his seat and stop shouting out insults and threats before they were able to move on. But as they did, Remus whispered to Tonks, who was still clinging tightly to him, "You know, now that I think about it… a part of it is true. Most of the time we hardly cared about the rules…"

"I doubt that you were exactly like how Snape talked about it," she retorted. "And that doesn't excuse his behavior. Harry isn't his father… and what good has being bitter done for Snape now that James is dead? He should just learn to suck it up and move on… that's what Mad-Eye always says."

"You saying something about me?" Mad-Eye's voice came from the other side of the room and Tonks beamed at him.

"Nope," she said brightly as he growled something about _'kids… who needs 'em?' _While at the same time, Remus noticed the dark look that he was being given by the magical eye and he, once again, tried to move away from Tonks. But she was like Devil's Snare. The more he tried to get away, the tighter she hung on. Kingsley cleared his throat and said:

**"****SHUT UP!"**

It sounded strange to hear someone as calm and collective as Kingsley shouting…

"That's right, Harry," Sirius chanted under his breath. "Show him that he can't get away with talking about Prongs like that."

**Harry was suddenly on his feet. Rage such as he had not felt since his last night in Privet Drive was coursing through him. He didn't care that Snape's face had gone rigid, the black eyes flashing dangerously.**

"Now he's gonna get it," Tonks said worriedly.

**"****What did you say to me, Potter?"**

"I thought that he made it clear," Sirius yapped. "He told you to shut up. Sage advice if I ever heard it."

**"****I told you to shut up about my dad!" Harry yelled. "I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for my dad!"**

**Snape's sallow skin had gone the color of sour milk.**

"This isn't going to end well," Mad-Eye said, getting interested in what happens next.

"You don't have to sound so cheerful about it, Mad-Eye," Tonks informed him.

**"****And did the headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?" he whispered. "Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter's delicate ears?"**

**Harry bit his lip. He didn't know what had happened and didn't want to admit it — but Snape seemed to have guessed the truth.**

**"****I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter," he said, a terrible grin twisting his face. **

Sirius's hands clenched tightly into fists, rage etched in every part of his body, as his fingernails dug painfully into his palms. That git was going to regret ever saying that. Despite his many faults, James was 10 times the person that Snape could ever be. He died a hero… trying to defend his son and the woman he loved… if that's not bravery, what is?

"Sirius, this already happened…" whispered Remus, though he looked angry as well, and looked as if he wanted to have a few words with the Potion's Master as well.

**"Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you — your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn't got cold feet at the last moment.**

"What on earth is he talking about?" stormed Sirius furiously as he glanced at Remus. "If he's talking about the Willow incident then he really is blind. If he honestly thinks that you and James were both involved in that prank then he's even stupider than I first thought. It was all me. James didn't know about it until I told him what happened! The minute he heard what I did, he went sprinting after him!" Sirius was grinding his teeth together… so he made one mistake and he made Harry's school life a living hell? Just how much of Snape's hatred towards Harry was due to that incident?

"Does someone mind telling me exactly what you both are talking about?" Molly asked half annoyed/half confused.

"Yes," Mad-Eye said. "What is this_ 'incident'_ with the willow you keep talking about?"

Sirius moved unnervingly. "It's not exactly something I like to talk about," he said.

"Could've fooled me," Mad-Eye said and Sirius frowned at him.

"I mean it," he rumbled. "It's not what you call one of my favorite memories."

"Besides," Remus said, taking pity on him. "The book will explain everything a little later on. I'm sure that you all will have your questions answered before we reach the last page."

Sirius gave him a relieved look and Tonks smiled up at him serenely. Sirius thought that it would be for the best to keep his eye on the cute couple for the rest of the chapter. He just couldn't stay mad for long when he saw how perfect these two were for each other. So he took a few deep breaths, but watched them out of the corner of his eye as Kingsley said:

**There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. **

"Actually, he was saving Sirius as much as Severus," said Remus, remembering how angry that James was after it was all over.

"Yep, even after everything I did, he still stuck his neck out for me," Sirius said sadly, missing his best friend now more than ever, "It was all my fault that it happened. If things turned out differently, then Remus would've been expelled… and if there was anyone who should've been expelled, it should've been me. But it wasn't like I actually expected him to do it!" Sirius added to Albus's and Minerva's stern looks. "I lost my temper with him and was just trying to scare him into leaving Remus alone! I didn't think he be dumb enough to actually take my advice. After all, he spent most of our school years ignoring my every word."

"That was still a foolish thing to do, Sirius," Albus said firmly. "If there was even a slight chance that he might've followed your word, then it was a dangerous thing to do."

"I know!" he said loudly. "If I had known that he would've done it, then I never would've opened my mouth!"

Kingsley, getting really tired of this and wanting to find out what they were talking about, just kept reading, but as luck would have it, it didn't take long for Sirius to interrupt again.

**Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts."**

"Actually, I think that _I_ would've be the one who would've been expelled from Hogwarts," Sirius corrected flatly, falling suddenly silent as he thought of the narrowly-avoided consequences for James, Remus and Snape if James didn't go after him.

**Snape's uneven, yellowish teeth were bared.**

**"****Turn out your pockets, Potter!" he spat suddenly.**

**Harry didn't move. There was a pounding in his ears.**

"He's only going to be in even more trouble if he loses his temper," Arthur said, biting his lower lip. "Severus is only going to make it even worse and make him only more dangerous."

**"****Turn out your pockets, or we go straight to the headmaster! Pull them out, Potter!"**

**Cold with dread, Harry slowly pulled out the bag of Zonko's tricks and the Marauder's Map.**

Sirius was now horrified that Snape had the map in his greasy hands. Even though he knew that there was no way that he would ever get it to work, he knew right away that it was going to be bad for Harry. Why did it suddenly seem that everything that was supposed to help his godson was only making things even more difficult for him?

**Snap picked up the Zonko's bag.**

**"****Ron gave them to me," said Harry, praying he'd get a chance to tip Ron off before Snape saw him. "He brought them back from Hogsmeade last time —"**

**"****Indeed? And you've been carrying them around ever since? How very touching… and what is this?"**

**Snape had picked up the map. Harry tried with all his might to keep his face impassive.**

**"****Spare bit of parchment," he said with a shrug.**

**Snape turned it over, his eyes on Harry.**

**"****Surely you don't need such a very old piece of parchment?" he said. **

"I find that it always is handy to have a spare bit of parchment on hand, no matter how old it is," Albus stated—Minerva, Arthur, and Molly all cracked a smirk at those words.

**"Why don't I just — throw this away?"**

**His hand moved toward the fire.**

**"****No!" Harry said quickly.**

"Now he knows that it's valuable," groaned Sirius.

"You rather it was burnt to ashes?" Mad-Eye pointed out for him and both Marauders looked aghast at the thought of their map being thrown into a fire.

**"****So!" said Snape, his long nostrils quivering. "Is this another treasured gift from Mr. Weasley? Or is it — something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or — instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the Dementors?"**

**Harry blinked. Snape's eyes gleamed.**

**"****Let me see, let me see…" he muttered, taking out his wand and smoothing the map out on his desk. "Reveal your secret!" he said, touching the wand to the parchment.**

**Nothing happened. Harry clenched his hands to stop them from shaking.**

"Oh, no…" Remus groaned and ran his hand through his graying hair while Sirius was hammering the arm of his seat in laughter.

"He's going to regret doing that!" Sirius roared in humor. "If he keeps this up then…!"

"You realize that if he says his name next then it's going to put Harry in even more trouble than before?" Remus asked him.

"Why's that?" Tonks asked while everyone else looked curious as well.

They just smirked and Remus answered, "Wait for it…"

**"Show yourself!" Snape said, tapping the map sharply.**

**It stayed blank. Harry was taking deep, calming breaths.**

**"****Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.**

"If he's master of Hogwarts… then I'm the next candidate for Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award," Sirius said and everyone else snorted.

**As though an invisible hand were writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the map.**

_**"**__**Mooney presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."**_

Silence reigned for a few moments. And then the out roar of laughter began. Sirius and Tonks were laughing so hard that they couldn't breathe right. Kingsley and Arthur were both snickering at that little insult while Molly seemed to be in pain from not trying to giggle. Minerva was shaking her head in exasperation, and Albus didn't react at all, though his eyes were twinkling perhaps a little bit brighter.

"Why'd it do that?" Mad-Eye asked, he didn't move at all… but you could see the corners of his mouth twitching from enjoyment.

"If someone tries to reveal the map without the password, then nothing will happen," Remus explained quickly. "And if someone ever speaks their name, then the map starts throwing out insults. We made it like this in case it ever fell into the wrong hands. Only someone who really _'Solemnly swears that they are up to no good,' _can get it to work."

"I never knew you were so good with insults, Professor Moony," Tonks said tenderly. "I wish you told me sooner…"

"It never came up," Remus croaked out, his arm was now losing all feeling and becoming numb… but didn't want her to let go let go.

**Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the map didn't stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first.**

_**"**__**Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Mooney and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git."**_

"That sounds just like Prongs," Sirius said grimly. For one brief second, it was as if James was still alive, and that everything was still like they used to be. But then Kingsley continued, and his good mood slid away. These books were going to be the death of him yet.

**It would have been very funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. And there was more…**

_**"**__**Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor."**_

Sirius snorted proudly. "That's me alright!"

"You always were the cleverest of all of us when it came to insults," Remus admitted.

"If you have a talent," Sirius informed him. "Use it!"

**Harry closed his eyes in horror. When he'd opened them, the map had had its last word.**

_**"**__**Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."**_

Sirius and Remus both chuckled at that, but it was out of habit than anything else. Their happiness pierced every time that filthy rat was brought up.

"That has to be the only good advice that rat ever gave," Sirius spat out venomously.

**Harry waited for the blow to fall.**

**"****So…" said Snape softly. "We'll see about this…"**

**He strode across to his fire, seized a fistful of glittering powder from a jar on the fireplace, and threw it into the flames.**

**"****Lupin!" Snape called into the fire. "I want a word!"**

"What's he calling on you for?" Tonks asked bewildered. "Doesn't he know that you'd just help Harry instead of getting him in trouble? That's not a smart thing to do if he wants to at least get him detention."

"I think he was just so angry to see those names again that he wasn't thinking straight," Remus offered with a shrug. "I think he was just trying to get to the bottom of what was going on at all costs and he just automatically blamed me."

"Well that's a lot of bull," Tonks said sourly.

"There are some people out there whose minds can't be changed," Remus reminded her.

**Utterly bewildered, Harry stared at the fire. A large shape had appeared in it, revolving very fast. Seconds later, Professor Lupin was clambering out of the fireplace, brushing ash off his shabby robes.**

**"****You called, Severus?" said Lupin mildly.**

**"****I certainly did," said Snape, his face contorted with fury as he strode back to his desk. "I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."**

**Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were still shining. An odd, closed expression appeared on Lupin's face.**

"Was there something wrong, Remus?" Arthur asked him.

Remus let out a sigh and said, "No… not really. It's just that it was the first time I'd seen the map for almost 15 years… it… it brought back a lot of memories…"

Sirius flinched horribly; his mistakes were being slapped back into his face once again. He was so worried about his problems, that he forgot how difficult this had to have been for Remus and how he had lost everything also in just that one night.

Remus swallowed finished speaking, "I guess I could say that it reminded me of happier days."

"Back when the three of us were still thick as thieves and the only things we had to worry about was homework and getting out of detention?" Sirius asked, sounding like a wiped puppy.

"Yes," Remus said flatly, as he unknowingly leaned in to Tonks's warm touch. "I suppose it did."

**"Well?" said Snape.**

**Lupin continued to stare at the map. Harry had the impression that Lupin was doing some very quick thinking.**

**"****Well?" said Snape again. "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?"**

"There's not a trace of Dark Magic!" Sirius said in outraged, his gloom quickly turning back into anger. "Complicated and difficult magic yes, but not Dark Magic!"

**Lupin looked up and, by the merest half-glance in Harry's direction, warned him not to interrupt.**

"He's really good at reading people's body movements," Kingsley interrupted himself thoughtfully. "Usually that takes a few years of practice."

"We're never going to get this book done if we keep breaking off, Shacklebolt," Mad-Eye groaned. He had hoped that Kingsley wouldn't stop every few lines.

"Sorry," Kingsley chuckled. "Couldn't help it."

**"****Full of Dark Magic?" he repeated mildly. "Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop —"**

"All right, Professor Moony," Tonks cheered.

But Molly asked in uncertainty, "Why are you saying that, Remus? I think that Severus already knew that it belonged to you."

"I didn't want Harry to know," Remus answered. "It would've only got him asking questions… questions that I wasn't ready to answer him yet."

"And you call yourself a teacher," Mad-Eye said shaking his head, and Tonks mock-glared at him.

**"Indeed?" said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger. "You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?"**

"I see," Albus said looking at Remus, "He thinks that you gave it to him."

"Luckily, no," Remus argued. "It would've only caused more problems."

"How can you say that?" Sirius demanded. "You didn't need it anymore, and Harry is the only child of a Marauder! It's rightfully his."

"I never said it wasn't," Remus said. "But at the time, I thought that it would be dangerous for him to have."

Sirius suddenly turned sullen again, "Of course," he grumbled to himself as he leaned back in his seat. "It always comes right back to me."

**Harry didn't understand what Snape was talking about. Nor, apparently, did Lupin.**

"You always were a good actor," Sirius stated, nudging him slightly. "How else were you able to get out of so many detentions."

Remus looked away from the surprised look on Minerva's face while Albus chortled good-naturedly.

**"****You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?" he said. "Harry, do you know any of these men?"**

**"****No," said Harry quickly.**

"He doesn't know how wrong he is," Sirius muttered. "He knew all four of them… unfortunately," he added in an undertone, suddenly furious at the memories of Wormtail anywhere near his infant godson. He could've hurt him at any time! He could've grabbed him when they weren't looking and given him to Voldemort! That thought made him burn with fury… the idea of Wormtail stealing his baby godson and handing straight over to Voldemort was too much for him! He quickly looked back to Remus and Tonks and felt his anger fade slowly away when he saw the happy, far-off look in his old friend's eyes when he looked down at the blushing girl.

He wished that he was the one who had a camera now.

**"****You see, Severus?" said Lupin, turning back to Snape. "It looks like a Zonko product to me —"**

"I think I heard James rolling in his grave when I said that," Remus smiled as Sirius looked appalled at the insult.

**Right on cue, Ron came bursting into the office. He was completely out of breath, and stopped just short of Snape's desk, clutching the stitch in his chest and trying to speak.**

**"****I — gave — Harry — that — stuff," he choked. "Bought — it… in Zonko's… ages — ago…"**

"You couldn't have asked for more perfect timing," Tonks declared. "He must've run all the way back… wonder how he knew that Harry was in Snape's office."

"I think that it was only natural to assume that Snape would've carted him off and started threatening him," Sirius reasoned.

**"****Well!" said Lupin, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?" He folded the map and tucked it inside his robes. "Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay — excuse us, Severus —"**

**Harry didn't dare look at Snape as they left his office. **

**He. Ron, and Lupin walked all the way back into the entrance hall before speaking. Then Harry turned to Lupin.**

**"****Professor, I —"**

**"****I don't want to hear explanations," said Lupin shortly.**

"Professor Moony…" Sirius groaned and looked at him full in the face. "You didn't?"

"I did what I had to, Sirius," Remus explained. And when everyone else looked lost, Sirius said, "Moony had always been very good at the guilt trip. And trust me, making me feel bad about my actions isn't something that just anyone can do." He looked back at him and said, "I never thought that you would lecture Harry about sneaking around. Considering all the times you've done it."

"One of the many reason we made him a Prefect," Albus said with a significant smile at Remus and Minerva nodded. "We knew that you wouldn't let them get away with everything."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Only the little things…" he confessed and the atmosphere lightened once again.

**He glanced around the empty entrance hall and lowered his voice. "I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map," he said as Harry and Ron looked amazed. "I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn't hand it in. **

"But you never handed it in either, Remus," Kingsley pointed out. "Bit hypocritical of you isn't it?"

Remus looked down at the floor in embarrassment.

**Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can't let you have it back, Harry."**

"Remus!" protested Sirius at once. "What are you doing?! Why didn't you give it back to him?"

Remus cut him off and said firmly, "Because things aren't the same anymore, Padfoot. I was his teacher… I had to do my job."

"Snape's his teacher," Sirius stated. "And that doesn't stop him from not doing his job right. Come on, Professor Moony… you can't be serious about not giving the map back to him."

"No," Remus admitted, "You're Sirius."

They all groaned at the aggravating joke. Molly then said, "Well, I think that he did the right thing."

"I bet you do," Sirius murmured.

Remus frowned, he was sure he made Harry feel terrible, but at the time, he was sure that he was doing the right thing.

**Harry had expected that, and was too keen for explanations to protest.**

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Mad-Eye asked. "Rather know the truth than anything else." His magical eye focused on Albus who turned away guilty. Sirius also joined in with the look, but he wasn't sure that Dumbledore noticed it.

**"****Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"**

**"****Because…" Lupin hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."**

"We would wouldn't we?" Sirius elbowed Remus who nodded in agreement. The fact that Harry couldn't fight the lure to venture out of school was just in his nature. Not something that he could help… especially with James for his father.

**"****Do you know them?" said Harry, impressed.**

**"****We've met," he said shortly. He was looking at Harry more seriously than ever before.**

"_'We've met?'_" Sirius repeatedly hollowly, looking insulted. "Moony! How could you just say _'we've met'?_"

"I'm sorry!" Remus sighed tiredly. Even he was getting tired of all the disruptions as well. "But it's not like I could come out and tell him that I am Moony."

"You make it sound like you're almost ashamed of being a Marauder," Sirius stated and Remus shook his head.

"I could never be ashamed of that," he elaborated. "But things… aren't like they used to be. I had to do what I thought was right. And I wasn't ready to tell him who I was. If I did, it… it would've brought everything back and I wasn't ready to face it. I spent most of those twelve years trying not to dwell on the past and I didn't want to go back to depression."

Tonks glanced up at him sadly as they all stared at him; the thought of him being so alone for all those years caused her heart to ache painfully for him. She shut her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder and said so quietly that no human hearing could ever hope to hear her, "I'm glad that you never let your sadness take over your life. I like you just the way you are."

Remus tensed up at once… his heart pounding so hard and fast that he was astonished that no one else could hear it… well… he looked back down at her beautiful face and couldn't help but think that she could.

"Remus?" Molly asked in concern. "Are you ok? You don't look well?"

"W-what?" Remus stuttered as Tonks smiled. "Ah, yeah… I'm… I'm just fine."

But he might've as well have tried to tell them that the sky was falling. They all looked at Tonks and at his red face before they all turned, all of them with knowing looks on their faces, to Kingsley.

**"****Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them — gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."**

"That was cold," Tonks muttered, glancing at Remus who looked ashamed. Thinking back, perhaps he was a little harsh…

Arthur whistled loudly. "I see what Sirius means about your guilt trips, Remus," he said grimly. "But you need to remember that Harry's only thirteen. You can't expect him to think about things like that all the time…"

Remus sighed in agreement. "I know that I might've dramatized a bit there, but you have to remember where I'm coming from. The map brought everything back, and I knew that Harry could be gone just like Lily and James. I know that they would've never forgiven me if I let something happen to their son. I wasn't trying to lecture him about skipping class or pulling a harmless prank. I was trying to do what I could to help keep him safe. Even though I was wrong about Sirius… there was still a chance he could've gotten hurt."

Remus' words stabbed into Sirius like red-hot knives, but the lifeless tone in his voice told him how hard that this was for him and forced him to remember how tough it must've been for Remus to see Harry and not have him know the truth. How hard he worked to protect him that year…

Once again, Sirius felt jealously burning in his gut that his friend was able to protect his own godson more than he ever could.

**He walked away, leaving Harry feeling worse by far than he had at any point in Snape's office. Slowly, he and Ron mounted the marble staircase. As Harry passed the one-eyed witch, he remembered the Invisibility Cloak — it was still down there, but he didn't dare go and get it.**

**"****It's my fault," said Ron abruptly. "I persuaded you to go. Lupin's right, it was stupid, we shouldn't've done it —"**

"You haven't lost your touch, old pal," Sirius muttered. "Now you're making Ron guilty… and he wasn't even the one who got the lecture."

"Not easy to do," Arthur admitted with a sideways glance at Molly, "Unless there's a Howler involve."

**He broke off; they reached the corridor where the security trolls were pacing, and Hermione was walking toward them. One look at her face convinced Harry that she had heard what had happened. His heart plummeted — had she told Professor McGonagall?**

"In case you're wondering," Minerva said to Sirius's horrified look. "She didn't tell me a thing. Though now that I know all this, I wish she had."

"I still don't like where this is going," Tonks said. "Something else had happened…"

**"****Come to have a good gloat?" said Ron savagely as she stopped in front of them. "Or have you just been to tell on us?"**

**"****No," said Hermione. She was holding a letter in her hands and her lip was trembling. "I just thought you ought to know… Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed."**

"No!" most of the room objected loudly and Sirius looked horrified at the idea of his only companion about to be killed for something that was Malfoy's doing.

"That's what it says," Kingsley said heavily.

"They can't execute him! It was Malfoy's fault!" cried Tonks as Molly covered her mouth and Sirius was growling like Padfoot.

"Oh, relax!" Mad-Eye barked. "The blasted bird's upstairs isn't it? Stop whining!"

They had all got so into the book that they forgot that Buckbeak was in Sirius's mother's room and they all calmed down quickly.

"That's the end of the chapter," Kingsley sighed.

"About time," Mad-Eye groaned. "Are we done for the day?"

Albus pulled out his watch and observed it and said, "Oh, I think we can handle one last chapter before we call it a day. We can then finish the rest of the book tomorrow if we're lucky."

Mad-Eye groaned again. "Fine, but if it's something boring, I'm walking."

Kingsley held the book out for someone to take it… and Tonks, wanting to know what was going to happen, volunteered. So she unwillingly, finally let go of Remus's arm. Remus stretched it out, trying to get the feeling back in his numb limb… but now feeling very cold… as if he stuck his whole arm into ice. Trying hard not to let the disappointment show on his face he turned his full attention back to Tonks who had just read out, "**Chapter 15: The Quidditch Final**."

**(I hope that you all liked the little moments with Remus and Tonks… and I would appreciate it if you could tell me if I'm going to fast or slow with this relationship. Again, sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.)**


	22. The Quidditch Final

******(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 19: The Quidditch Final**

Kingsley held the book out for someone to take it… and Tonks, wanting to know what was going to happen, volunteered. So she unwillingly, finally let go of Remus's arm. Remus stretched it out, trying to get the feeling back in his numb limb… but now feeling very cold… as if he stuck his whole arm into ice. Trying hard not to let the disappointment show on his face he turned his full attention back to Tonks who had just read out, "**Chapter 15: The Quidditch Final**."

And there showed the picture of Harry on his Firebolt, his hands stretched out to catch a falling Snitch, and a Bludger flying past… not that she needed that to know what was going to happen…

"YES!" Sirius screamed out, causing them all to hold onto their eardrums in pain. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" he cried jamming his arms out in excitement. "This is it! The match between Gryffindor and Slytherin! I've been looking forward to this all book!"

"We're glad you're so happy!" Remus had to yell due to the fact that his hearing was damaged. "But you think that you can tone it down a few decibels?"

Sirius just ignored him. "This is going to be so good! Hurry up and read, Tonks!"

"What?" she yelled at him. "I couldn't hear you!"

"I said…"

"Oh, never mind!" Minerva said harshly, rubbing her hands over her throbbing ears.

"I have no idea to what you said," Tonks said loudly, but she was grinning again. "So, I'm just going to read again!" She then went on in a much quieter tone.

**"****He sent me this," Hermione said, holding out the letter.**

"Oh, damn it!" cursed Sirius suddenly, temporary forgetting about Buckbeak in light of the chapter name. "I'd forgotten that Hagrid and Buckbeak are still in trouble!"

"Tad forgetful don't you think?" Mad-Eye asked as he yawned. He then unexpectedly stood up.

"Where are you going?" Arthur asked him in surprise as he limped passed them all and headed to the door.

"I told you," he answered. "I'm tired of story time for today. I said that if the next chapter was something boring, then I'm walking."

"How on earth can you say that Quidditch is boring?!" Sirius demanded. The very soul of the wizarding world called boring? That has to be nothing but the very blackest of profanity.

Mad-Eye ignored him and growled, "My hearing is one of the only few things I have left that are still intact, and I'm not going to lose it thanks to some Quidditch-happy fanatics."

"Touchy aren't you?!" Tonks asked him grinning as Sirius was still looking offended. She knew Mad-Eye well enough to know that he just didn't want to sit around and do nothing but listen to a book any longer. But she knew that he was also interested in what was going to happen. So she asked, "But we'll see you…?"

Before she could finish asking the question, he held up his hand and said over his shoulder, "Right… tomorrow." He then left without another word. Everyone watched the empty doorway for a little while until Sirius came right out of his stupor and asked, almost like a little kid that was impatient to get to the end of a good bedtime story, "Aren't we going to finish?"

Tonks blinked a few times in confusion before she realized what she was holding. "Oh, right." She cleared her voice and read on:

**Harry took it. The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly in places that it was very difficult to read.**

_**Dear Hermione,**_

_**We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London.**_

_**I won't forget all the help you gave us.**_

_**Hagrid**_

**"****They can't do this," said Harry. "They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous."**

"Oh, they can," said Sirius grimly as hatred coursed through him at the thought of Buckbeak being killed. "Poor Hagrid. I can only imagine what he must be feeling… but I have a good idea… Buckbeak sure deserves better than this."

"But Buckbeak's only dangerous if you're a fat-headed idiot who refuses to listen and insults him!" Tonks reasoned. "They have to be able to see that! And there's still an appeal so they can still…"

"No point in that!" snapped Sirius scowling furiously. "It'll be Malfoy behind it all, I bet you all anything! He probably has half the ministry under his control thanks to all his money. And besides, it's not like the Ministry will care if someone innocent suffers."

"And it doesn't help that the executioner is Macnair," Kingsley added grimly. "He's an old friend of Malfoy's and one of Voldemort's Death Eaters."

Arthur shook his head in disgust at how corrupted the Ministry was—even then. "It's hard to believe that they now sunk even lower than they were then."

"Oh, no, I find it easy to believe," Sirius growled in distaste. There has always been a corrupted Ministry in charge of them all. He was only upset that no one else had noticed it until now!

**"****Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it," said Hermione, wiping her eyes. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope… Nothing will have changed."**

"Buckbeak shouldn't be killed because of a degraded ministry," Sirius said to himself. He hadn't meant for anyone to hear him, but Tonks, however, did.

"You two really are birds of a feather aren't you?" she asked.

He suddenly forced a grin back at her and said, "Of course. We both were both blamed for crimes because of other idiots and the Ministry was after our hides. Of course we would be close after all the time we spent together."

"A man and his Hippogriff," Remus said smiling and Sirius gave him a hard poke in the side.

"Watch it," he teased, "You forget _that_ Hippogriff is still upstairs and can take you out in a blink of an eye."

**"****Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help."**

"Well that's one way to resolve an argument," Molly sighed. "At least this had done one good thing and got them all to be friends again."

"About time too," Minerva agreed. "The three of them just don't look right if they weren't with each other."

No one could deny that as they thought of the 'trio' separated.

**"****Oh, Ron!"**

**Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely.**

"Oooohhhh," Sirius grinned. "Bet he _loved_ that."

"Sirius," Molly warned. "I think they're a bit young to be dating."

"They're teenagers!" Sirius groaned as if he thought Molly didn't understand. "Of course they're old enough to date!"

Remus then leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Just because you went around and tried to snog every girl in school doesn't mean that they should. I think that it's of the greatest relief to say that Harry's not like you when it comes to girls."

Sirius was looking disgruntled at those words, but he couldn't deny that he was also glad as well. After all, if Harry _had_ been like _him_ when it came to the ladies, then he was in for a lot of slaps to the face. Lily had always prayed that Harry would turn out to be polite and respect all girls… he smiled sadly. He knew that she would be so happy to see that she got her wish… if only she could've been here to see it for herself how good her son had turned out.

**Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away.**

**"****Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers…" she sobbed.**

**"****Oh — well — he was old," said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him.**

"Rellieved?" Sirius repeated. "Why would he be relieved? I thought that he would enjoy it! I know I would've if a girl came and…"

"I think it was more to do with the fact that she was crying," Minerva said, unexpectedly cutting him off.

Sirius thought that over and then nodded, "Ok, I can understand that. I never know what to do with a crying woman."

"Which is ironic," Remus added with a smirk. "Seeing how you were the one that usually caused them to start crying in the first place."

"Hey!" Sirius yelled at him and Tonks continued on before he could really start screaming and ruining their hearing again.

**"****And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."**

They all sighed with exasperation and relief, glad that they were all finally talking again—but feeling a little bit of a let-down at how it all worked out.

**The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons.**

**He seemed numb with shock at the verdict.**

"Oh, Hagrid," Tonks groaned, feeling so bad for him and putting out her lower lip in a pout. "Poor guy… he must be feeling so helpless right now."

"I don't blame him," Sirius sighed. "Buckbeak is a loyal friend…"

"You really love that bird don't you?" Arthur asked him.

"Of course, I didn't know him then," Sirius confessed, "But I've been on the run with him since the end of this year."

"Speaking of which," Molly asked with her eyebrows raised. "How _did_ you get him?"

"Oh," Sirius smiled. "I'm not a hundred percent sure how it happened myself. I'm kinda hoping that this book will clear it up for me."

'_All I know for sure,'_ he thought to himself._ 'Was that he was a parting gift from my godson.'_

**"****S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em…"**

"It wasn't really Hagrid's fault," Arthur said bitterly. "It was those damn corrupt Ministry officials."

"How many of them does anyone want to bet that Malfoy had in his pocket?" Sirius growled. "From what it sounds like, all of them."

"You really hate the Ministry don't you?" Remus said, not liking the foul look on Sirius's face.

"Of course I do!" Sirius barked back. "What do you think? I'm best buds with them after all the suffering they caused me?! I was imprisoned in Azkaban without a trial without any chance of ever being released! Look at them! They imprisoned Hagrid in that hell the year before without any proof that he had done anything! Look at all that they're putting Harry through this year because Fudge is too much of a coward to admit he's wrong! And you have as much reason to hate them as I do! After those damn werewolf laws and everything… come one… don't you hate them as well?"

Everyone stared from the two of them, Sirius gasping for breath… but looking oddly happy after that effect. It seemed as if he had been dying to shout all that for awhile and just seemed happy to finally find a good excuse to do so. They all looked from him to a depressed looking Remus…

The former professor shrugged in a helpless sort of way as Tonks looked at him sadly, suddenly wishing that she was in charge of changing those werewolf laws. Honestly, as long as everyone took the right precautions, then there was no reason why werewolves couldn't enjoy life like anyone else. After all… it was only one night a month that they were dangerous…

Girls are just as dangerous when it's their time of the month…

She blushed at that though and couldn't seem to stop her fit of the giggles. "What's so funny?" Remus asked her.

"N-nothing," she croaked out as she turned back to the book.

**"****There's still the appeal!" said Ron fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"**

**They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead they could see Malfoy, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively.**

Everyone in the room made noises of disgust and anger that anyone could actually enjoy the thought of causing an innocent creature to be killed.

"I can't believe someone could be at rotten," Tonks muttered in loathing. "Really, what do they teach kids these days?"

"You should know," Kingsley offered. "You're one of them."

She put her hands on her hips and glared over at him. "I'm an adult thank you very much. And don't you forget it."

"Hard to remember it when you act like some little school-girl," Sirius said and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"See what I mean?" he asked the room at large and they laughed at the look of indignation on Tonks face.

"Keep that up and I won't read," she said grumpily as her hair turned to a fiery red in anger.

**"****S'no good, Ron," said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that…"**

**Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.**

**"****Look at him blubber!"**

"Why can't he just shut his mouth for once?!" snapped Sirius furiously.

"Sirius," Albus said wearily. "I know that young Mr. Malfoy isn't endearing himself to anyone in this house. But please, you must remember that this was how he was raised to be. I'm sure that under different circumstances he wouldn't say or act like this."

"Yeah," Sirius growled. "That's how my folks tried raising me. They tried to turn me into something like that stuck-up brat. But I didn't listen and done what I thought was right."

"Something that is to be greatly admired, Sirius," Albus admitted with a slight incline of his head. "But not everyone is like that. Please. I'm sure that if you learn to look past the surface, you'll see that he's just an ordinary boy."

Sirius snorted in disbelief. "Next, you'll be telling me that Snape's fair in class," he said. "I'll believe it when I see it. Only when Malfoy admits that he's a spoiled rotten, bullying, evil little brat… will I forgive him. I mean… look at all the trouble he puts everyone through! Everything that he puts our kids and Hagrid through! He's a power-hungry, sniffling, little…"

But before he could finish his insults, Albus held up his hand and said. "Sirius. I'm sure that we can talk about this later. But for now, I suggest that we move on. I'm certain that you wish to get to the Quidditch game?"

Only that could make Sirius stop looking sour and looked eagerly towards the book. In fact, he was so excited he forgot to be angry with Dumbledore.

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.**

**"****Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"**

"Unless it's Malfoy? No," Tonks said.

Sirius burst out laughing at that but it faded almost instantly. "Why can't someone just hit that spoiled kid already?" he demanded.

**Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first — SMACK!**

Everyone stared at the book in Tonks's in shock. "Did you just read that right?" Sirius asked, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

"That's what it says," she answered and suddenly Sirius broke into loud applause—closely followed by Arthur and Tonks.

"I can't believe she really did that," Minerva said in a stunned tone. She had known that Hermione Granger had a temper, but she had never let it out violently before now.

"She hit Malfoy!" Sirius said with a mixture of shock and happiness. "That's bloody brilliant. I can't wait to see her again… I have to shake her hand! I'd tip my hat to her if I actually wore one!"

"Thatta girl, I'm so glad someone finally hit him," Tonks said happily, glad that the git had gotten what was coming to him for so long. "I feel so much better. I was waiting for someone to give that git what he deserved since the first book, if not before."

"She did just break the rules though," Molly said half-heartedly. Really, she was glad that someone finally knocked that boy down a peg or two, but she really hoped that Hermione didn't get in trouble for it.

"I never heard of this," Minerva stated. "Malfoy never reported it."

"That's a little out of character for him…" Arthur said frowning; remembering the big fuss be put on from the scratch that Buckbeak gave him. And that pitiful act that he injured for months and he refused to take the bandages off his fake injury.

"No, it's not," Sirius smirked. "He just doesn't want to admit that a girl has him running scared. Tonks, please… go on…"

**She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.**

**"****Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul — you evil —"**

**"****Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.**

**"****Get off, Ron!"**

"Yeah, Ron!" said Sirius, cheering on for a good fight. "Let her get all her anger out! This is a good way for her to get rid of all that stress! Besides, he deserves it after all the times he insulted her!"

"If she had kept going, she would've gotten into trouble," Minerva said, but there was a slight twitch to her thin line of a mouth.

**Hermione pulled out her wand. **

**Malfoy stepped backward. **

"Yeah, that's right," Sirius grinned, "He better be scared. Hermione can take him down with her wand arm behind her back."

**Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.**

"Right they can't do anything on their own without asking for permission," Tonks said smugly.

"Alright," Albus said, checking his watch, "That's enough. It's already 9. If we don't hurry then we won't be able to finish this chapter tonight."

"No!" Sirius called in horror. "Tonks keep reading!"

"You're the one who keeps interrupting!" she said a little disgruntled.

**"****C'mon." Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.**

There was a burst of laughing and cheering.

"Malfoy's frightened of a girl!" sang Sirius. "Of course they'll run. Like I said, she could easily take them down."

"See?" Tonks quickly said with her eyebrows raised. "You're the one who keeps interrupting!"

"I can't help it!" he said brightly, "I'm loving this chapter now! I can't wait when we finally reach the game!"

**"****Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.**

**"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"**

"They won't win. Harry's too good!" Sirius said beaming. "Come one… Malfoy can't fight his own battles without having his bodyguards or daddy dearest there to do it for him!"

"We get the picture, Padfoot," Remus smiled at him. He was glad that his friend was enjoying himself again, but he was also tired of all the interruptions. Of course, if it keeps him happy and prevents him from yelling and putting their eardrums out then hey, he supposed it was ok.

**"****We're due in Charms," said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. "We'd better go."**

**They hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom.**

**"****You're late, boys!" said Professor Flitwick reprovingly as Harry opened the classroom door. **

"Boys?" repeated Molly in slight confusion. "What about Hermione?"

"I'm sure that she's right behind them," Kingsley said, though he sounded unsure.

**"Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs —"**

**Harry and Ron hurried to a desk at the back and opened their bags. Ron looked behind him.**

**"****Where's Hermione gone?"**

**Harry looked around too. Hermione hadn't entered the classroom, yet Harry knew she had been right next to him when he had opened the door.**

"Ok, that's weird," Tonks frowned, tilting her head to the side completely bewildered. "What happened? She was right behind them… where did she go this time?"

"You have the book don't you?" Minerva reminded her, "Maybe you can tell us?"

**"****That's weird," said Harry, staring at Ron. "Maybe — maybe she went to the bathroom or something?"**

**But Hermione didn't turn up all lesson.**

"That's not like her at all…" Molly said quietly, suddenly feeling worried for the poor girl. "I hope nothing's happened to her."

"I'm sure she's fine," Arthur assured her. "I'm sure that nothing's happened to her. She probably has a good excuse."

"Hermione keeps doing that disappearing act," Kingsley muttered. "And Molly's right… that's not like her at all. Is she becoming a scatter-brain from the stress or is she running off to other classes?"

"How can she?" Sirius asked him but it was too late because Tonks had just read on just as he asked his question.

**"****She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her too," said Ron as the class left for lunch, all grinning broadly — the Cheering Charms had left them with a feeling of great contentment.**

**Hermione wasn't at lunch either. By the time they had finished their apple pie, the after-effects of the Cheering Charms were wearing off, and Harry and Ron had started to get slightly worried.**

"I would guess so," Minerva said nervously, "Now that they're finally talking again, I think that they missed each other." Sirius nodded in agreement. "She better be all right."

**"****You don't think Malfoy did something to her?" Ron said anxiously as they hurried upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower.**

"He better not have touched her," Molly warned firmly, clenching her hands into fists slightly.

"Do you actually think that he is capable of taking her on his own?" Sirius scoffed. "She has him running scared and we all know it."

"Yep," Tonks said. "But then again, they might've played dirty."

"Why doesn't that idea surprise me?" Stinking Slytherins… why does it seem like all their troubles seem to be steaming from that one House? He couldn't help but feel that the world would be better off without having those snakes around.

**They passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password ("Flibbertigibbet"), and scrambled through the portrait hole into the common room.** **Hermione was sitting at a table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. **

Molly sighed in slight relief. "Oh good, she's alright—she had me worried. But what happened to her?"

"Too much work," Remus explained sadly. "She has so much to do that she's losing track of things. She just can't keep this up for much longer."

"Then why can't she just drop a few subjects?" Tonks demanded from them as if it was their faults that Hermione was over-worked. "I'm sure that she'll be better if she had a normal schedule!"

"I have a feeling that we might be seeing that soon," Albus declared as he recalled what he heard that year.

"You know what happens next?" Kingsley asked curiously.

"I have a good idea of what happens," Albus informed him. "I'm not sure if it's coming up just now however…"

Wanting to know what he was talking about, Tonks turned to the next page.

**They went to sit down on either side of her. Harry prodded her awake.**

**"****Wh — what?" said Hermione, waking with a start and staring wildly around. "Is it time to go? W — which lesson have we got now?"**

**"****Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," said Harry. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"**

**"****What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"**

"How can you forget to go to class?" asked Sirius.

"You should know," Remus reminded him. "You used to do it all the time."

"That's different," Sirius said, now avoiding the cold look that Minerva was giving him. "Hermione would rather be in classes than doing something fun anyway."

"Be nice," Remus told him. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn."

"Yeah, but there's nothing wrong with having fun once in awhile either," Sirius muttered.

**"But how could you forget?" said Harry. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"**

**"****I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry?**

"Flitwick angry?" Sirius repeated with a laugh. "I don't think that Flitwick even knows how to get angry!"

"You'd be surprised, Sirius," Albus said politely. "Filius loves his students and enjoys teaching more than anything. But if they are threatened, he's one of the first to jump in and defend them. You forget that he was once a dueling champion in his youth."

"I'd love to have seen that," Tonks said thoughtfully.

"He is truly impressive," Minerva said, having seen him duel several times before and remembered how extraordinary he was with a wand. Extraordinary… and terrifying. He wasn't one that you took lightly.

**Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!"**

**"****You know what, Hermione?" said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. "I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."**

"He's right," Remus frowned as he thought back to that year and how Hermione looked in class. "She was looking terrible through most of that year. I often wondered if she had gotten enough sleep."

**"****No, I'm not!" said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry… I'll see you in Divination!"**

"She really needs to take a break from all that homework," Sirius stated casually, "She'll be losing her mind in no time at this rate."

"Compared to you, who didn't even bother doing half his work while he was at school," Minerva reminded him.

"At least I was healthy!" Sirius told her. "Look at everything she's trying to do! She's not in the best of health now is she?"

"Can't argue with that logic," Tonks said.

**Hermione joined them at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed.**

**"****I can't believe I missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!"**

"I'm sure that she'll do fine in her exams," said Minerva. "It is one of her best subjects."

"Every subject is her best subject," Tonks informed her. "Except for Divination of course…"

"Not that I'm surprised," Minerva admitted whole-heartedly.

"Besides," Sirius said shrugging. "I'm sure that she already knew how to do them anyway. Remember how she got a 112 percent on her first-year exam? So, it's not like she really needs to go to classes."

"Maybe you could've learned a lesson from her if she was going when you were," Minerva said strictly. "And maybe she could've kept you from causing so much trouble."

"Me? Keep me from trouble?" Sirius gasped in mock shock. "No one could stop me from causing trouble!" he then added with a glance at Remus, "Aside from Remus and James of course."

"Besides," Tonks told them all, "Hermione's caused her own share of trouble-making during her time at school let's not forget."

"I try not to," Molly said shaking her head.

**Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down together at the same rickety table.**

**"****I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," Ron muttered, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby.**

**"****Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry," Harry muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands."**

"I'm not too optimistic about all this turning out well," Minerva scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If they've moved on to crystal balls, it just means there's another way for her to predict tragedy and suffering."

Everybody in the room groaned at that, shaking their heads in annoyance.

"Why does she always have to pick Harry to be the target for death?" Sirius asked in annoyance, hating whenever anyone brought up the idea that Harry might die. It's bad enough that he has nightmares about it… but to hear it, see it on paper… it makes it so much worse.

"He suffers near fatal accidents every year," Tonks said unhappily. "She probably figures that it's going to kill him off sooner or later."

"Don't talk like that!" he hissed back.

**"Good day to you!" said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelawney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball.**

**"****I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."**

"Oh, for goodness sake," Minerva exclaimed, a slight quiver in her voice suggesting stifled laughter. "Of course she'll know when the exams start because she's the one setting them!"

Sirius coughed under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "Cough, pathetic, Cough."

"You need a cough drop, Sirius?" Remus asked him with his own eyebrows raised.

"No, I think it passed," Sirius assured him brightly.

**Hermione snorted.**

**"****Well, honestly… 'the fates have informed her'. Who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not troubling to keep her voice low. Harry and Ron choked back laughs.**

The ones in Grimmauld place on the other hand didn't have to trouble themselves with restraint and burst out laughing.

"What has gotten into her?" Sirius asked laughing, but he was becoming slightly concerned for her. "Not that I don't like seeing this side of her but…"

"Built up stress," Albus explained. "She's doing too much and she doesn't know how to deal with it."

"She needs to let go of it," Tonks spoke up. "Mad-Eye always says that you have to release your pent-up stress or else you'll lose your mind."

"I'm guessing that he learned that the hard way?" Sirius had to ask. "His mind is long gone."

"He learned from experience I'm guessing," Tonks nodding in conformity, a little glad that her mentor wasn't here to hear her making fun of him like this.

**It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not.**

**"****Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes —" Ron began to snigger uncontrollably and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise — "so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of the class."**

"How can they see anything if there's nothing there to see?" Sirius groaned. "Really this is just wasting their time."

"Sybill is ah… unique when it comes to teaching," Albus explained. "But she really does try hard…"

"Doesn't matter how hard they try if they can't teach," Minerva grumbled to herself.

**And so they began. Harry, at least, felt extremely foolish, staring blankly at the crystal ball, trying to keep his mind empty when thoughts such as "this is stupid" kept drifting across it. It didn't help that Ron kept breaking into silent giggles and Hermione kept tutting.**

**"****Seen anything yet?" Harry asked them after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing.**

"That long and he's still awake?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I would've fallen asleep after five minutes."

**"****Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle."**

"Well, he did see something," Tonks offered cheerfully and several others laughed. "Probably not what Trelawney intended…"

"Waste of time," Minerva muttered to herself once again.

**"****This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. **

"She really is like you, Minerva," Remus chuckled and his old Transfiguration teacher was having a hard time trying to keep her smile off her face.

**"I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms —"**

**Professor Trelawney rustled past.**

**"****Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.**

**"****I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."**

That line was too much for them. They all burst out laughing.

"Oh, I love this kid…" Sirius roared with mirth. "I almost wish that I took that class just so that I could use that line."

**Both Harry and Hermione burst out laughing.**

**"****Now, really!" said Professor Trelawney as everyone's heads turned in their direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalized. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" She approached their table and peered into their crystal ball. Harry felt his heart sinking. He was sure he knew what was coming —**

"No, wait… let me guess…" Tonks said in mock puzzlement. "Could it be the… the Grim?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Minerva asked.

Sirius growled. "Can't she leave him alone? She keeps going on about how my godson is about to die!" he whispered angrily. "I can't stand hearing this."

"None of us do, Sirius," Albus said sadly.

"Why should it matter to you?" he spat grumpily. "Why would you care? You got what you wanted from him didn't you? He's played the hero for you many times before. Why do you want to bother if he's suffering or in pain. I mean, it's not like you cared before."

"That's not true at all, Sirius." Dumbledore protested softly.

"How is it not?" Sirius hissed at him fiercely. "My godson gets stuck doing your job and then you ignored him when he needs it! Keep him locked away as if he's nothing! Let me tell you something old man…"

But Tonks, now worried that that the two of them were going to start a duel right now, turned the page so quickly that it tore slightly and read out in a loud voice in a way to distract them.

**"****There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving… but what is it?"**

"I could teach that class," Tonks pouted. "It's the grim!" Her plan worked… both of them seemed to temporary forgotten that they were about to duel each other… at least for the moment.

**Harry was prepared to bet everything he owned, including his Firebolt, that it wasn't good news, whatever it was. And sure enough —**

**"****My dear," Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before… my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer… the Gr —"**

**"****Oh, for goodness' sake!" said Hermione loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"**

"Never knew she had it in her," Sirius said softly and several others were smiling approvingly. "Way to go, Hermione!"

"It looks like Hermione has finally reached her breaking point," Arthur committed.

"Impressive that she lasted through most of the year," Remus said. "If I had that much work, I would've reached the breaking point long before."

"I am astounded that she hasn't left already Divination class," Kingsley said smoothly, and Remus smirked, detecting the faintest hint of amusement in his friend's voice. "It's clear that she hates it…"

"She's too proud to admit it," Molly said.

**Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Hermione too. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger.**

**"****I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane."**

"Ok, she really didn't need to say that," Tonks growled.

"That's a terrible thing to say to a student," Molly cried, looking scandalized.

"Why not?" Sirius asked sourly. "Snape degrades students all the time."

Albus sighed and shook his head, feeling more horrible about several of his staff members each time they were mentioned.

Kingsley on the other hand was thinking it over. Trelawney may have some of the students fooled, but they weren't. He had learned that when she sees a sign then it should be heeded—but disregard her interpretation. Technically, she was right about Hermione being closed minded…

**There was a moment's silence. Then —**

**"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. "Fine!" she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. "I give up! I'm leaving!"**

**And to the whole class's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.**

"And that," Minerva stated with a smirk, "Is what happens every year."

"You go girl!" Tonks cheered on. "About time. She doesn't need to bother herself with that class anyway."

"Looks like Hermione's getting in touch with her dark side," Sirius smirked proudly. "First she punches Malfoy—brilliant of course—she then skips class, starts talking in class, and finally just walks right out."

"Let's hope it doesn't last," Minerva and Molly both said shaking their heads.

**It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim. She turned abruptly from Harry and Ron's table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her.**

**"Ooooo!" said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. "Ooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? 'Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!' You said it ages ago, Professor!"**

"She did say that," Remus said.

"Because it always happens," said Minerva at once. "I told you before that someone just decides to get up and leave every year because they know it's a waste of time and effort."

"You really hate her don't you?" Arthur had to ask before chickened out.

"No," Minerva exclaimed. "I have nothing against Sybill herself. It's the subject that I cannot stand."

**Professor Trelawney gave her a dewy smile.**

**"****Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs… The Inner Eye can be a burden, you know…"**

**Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, and moved over so that Professor Trelawney could join their table instead.**

**"****Some day Hermione's having, eh?" Ron muttered to Harry, looking awed.**

**"****Yeah…"**

**Harry glanced into the crystal ball but saw nothing but swirling white mist. Had Professor Trelawney really seen the Grim again?**

"Of course she didn't, Harry!" said Remus soothingly.

"Maybe she just keeps seeing me," Sirius offered. "Maybe it means that I'm finally going to be meeting him very soon. In fact, I did meet him face-to-face not long after the exams."

"When was this?" Molly demanded. "And I swear… Sirius if you cause Harry to have another near fatal accident I will not be happy with you."

"I have no control over what happens!" he said back.

**Would he? The last thing he needed was another near-fatal accident, with the Quidditch final drawing ever nearer.**

"Nothing near-fatal happened," Albus assured them all. "It was a rough game yes, but aside from a few minor injuries to the rest of the team, I call it a success."

"Though it was a dirty game," Minerva nodded, remembering all too well all the times the players would attack each other.

**The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third years had never had so much homework. Neville Longbottom seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one.**

**"****Call this a holiday!" Seamus Finnigan roared at the common room one afternoon. "The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?"**

"That doesn't excuse them from work," Minerva stated firmly, but Sirius pulled a face, he looked like he was about to be sick at the thought. When she turned to glare at him, he grinned back at her innocently.

**But nobody had as much to do as Hermione. Even without Divination, she was taking more subjects than anybody else. She was usually last to leave the common room at night, first to arrive at the library the next morning; she had shadows like Lupin's under her eyes, and seemed constantly close to tears.**

Everyone grimaced at those lines and felt sorry for Hermione; there was no doubt in any of their minds that she was overdoing it. All they weren't sure just how much longer she could keep it up.

"Just one more class," Tonks moaned out, as if hoping that the Hermione from two years ago could hear her. "All you have to do is drop one more class and then you'll have a normal schedule again like everyone else? Come on Hermione, you're on a role! Why not drop one more like you did for Divination?"

"She loves her classes much too much," Sirius stated needlessly.

**Ron had taken over responsibility for Buckbeak's appeal.**

"Good," Molly said proudly.

**When he wasn't doing his own work, he was poring over enormously thick volumes with names like The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology and Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality. He was so absorbed, he even forgot to be horrible to Crookshanks.**

**Harry, meanwhile, had to fit in his homework around Quidditch practice every day, not to mention endless discussions of tactics with Wood. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. This meant (as Wood constantly reminded his team) that they needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fell largely on Harry, because capturing the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points.**

"So no pressure or nothing," Tonks said happily.

**"****So you must catch it only if we're more than fifty points up," Wood told Harry constantly. "Only if we're more than fifty points up, Harry, or we win the match but lose the Cup. You've got that, Haven't you? You must catch the Snitch only if we're —"**

"Yeah, I think he probably gets it by now," said Sirius with mock seriousness. "It's not that difficult to remember."

**"****I KNOW, OLIVER!" Harry yelled.**

**The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley (Ron's second oldest brother) had been Seeker. **

"Charlie always was gifted at the game," Arthur said fondly. "He could've played for any professional Quidditch team if he didn't go chasing after dragons."

"As long as he's happy," Remus reminded him. "Then that's all that matters."

"Yes," he nodded. "It's not like I'm upset that he's following his dream," he added quickly. "I was just stating a simple fact."

**But Harry doubted whether any of them, even Wood, wanted to win as much as he did. The enmity between Harry and Malfoy was at its highest point ever. Malfoy was still smarting about the mud-throwing incident in Hogsmeade and was even more furious that Harry had somehow wormed his way out of punishment. **

"Thanks to Professor Moony," Sirius said in a sing-song voice. "Though he did take away the map and I am not too happy about that."

"We've been over this, Sirius," Remus said slowly and clearly, really not wanting to go into this again. "I was only doing what I thought was best."

"For you maybe," he said grumpily.

**Harry hadn't forgotten Malfoy's attempt to sabotage him in the match against Ravenclaw, but it was the matter of Buckbeak that made him most determined to beat Malfoy in front of the entire school.**

"I agree with that," Sirius savagely. How could anyone want something as loyal and proud as a Hippogriff dead?

**Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, tension between the two teams and their Houses was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.**

"Nothing new there," Kingsley shrugged. "Hostility between those two Houses has always been on the vicious side. And the match to decides who wins the Quidditch Cup for the year isn't going to help things."

Albus sighed. "And that is why we always try and have the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match at the _start_ of the year instead of the end. It's so we can try to prevent any unnecessary injuries."

"Very wise idea," Kingsley nodded.

**Harry was having a particularly bad time of it. He couldn't walk to class without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip him up; Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever he went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw him surrounded by people. Wood had given instructions that Harry should be accompanied everywhere he went, in case the Slytherins tried to put him out of action. **

"What do you mean, _'in case'_?" demanded Sirius coldly. "Of course they'll try to put him out of action! Not only do they know that they can't win with Harry on the team, but they'll find any excuses to try and cheat!"

"Wood got one thing right here," Kingsley said to no one in particular. "There's safety in numbers and less chance of being attacked if you're surrounded by others."

"You're starting to sound like Moody," Tonks laughed at him.

"Something's bound to rub off on me after knowing him for a few days," he answered causally with his calm personally that relaxed them all.

**The whole of Gryffindor House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible for Harry to get to classes on time because he was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd. **

**Harry was more concerned for his Firebolt's safety than his own. **

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Molly asked.

"I don't blame him, I think that all the Slytherin's would love to see the Firebolt out of action," Sirius spoke up. "Not that Harry needs it to beat them."

**When he wasn't flying it, he locked it securely in his trunk and frequently dashed back up to Gryffindor Tower at break times to check that it was still there.**

**All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione had put down her books.**

"Good," Tonks said. "She needs a break."

**"****I can't work, I can't concentrate," she said nervously.**

**There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. **

"That really doesn't surprise me," Molly said shaking her head affectionately. This was just how they always dealt with pressure and stress… by trying to make everyone else laugh.

**Oliver Wood was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were laughing at Fred's and George's jokes. Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione, removed from the center of things, trying not to think about the next day, because every time he did, he had the horrible sensation that something very large was fighting to get out of his stomach.**

**"****You're going to be fine," Hermione told him, though she looked positively terrified.**

"Of course he will!" Sirius cheered. "What's there to be terrified of?"

**"****You've got a Firebolt!" said Ron.**

**"Yeah…" said Harry, his stomach writhing.**

**It came as a relief when Wood suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"**

**Harry slept badly. **

"Oh, don't tell me he's having nightmares again," moaned Molly. "Doesn't he have enough of those? And for what? He's losing sleep all over a stupid Quidditch match!"

"But it's the final!" Sirius and Tonks both said at the same time.

"Of course he'd be worried," Kingsley nodded.

**First he dreamed that he had overslept, and that Wood was yelling, "Where were you? We had to use Neville instead!"**

"Why is it always Neville?" Arthur asked in puzzlement.

"He's just one of those loveable klutzes that we all seem to know," Tonks answered lightly. "We all seem to know that one guy who tries so hard to help, but ends up tripping up."

"So in other words," Sirius said teasingly, "Just a guy version of you?"

She gave him a dark look before she said proudly, "In that case, Neville is going to turn out to be one tough fighter when he gets older. Just wait and see."

"I believe that," Remus nodded. "He just needs to work on his self-confidence until then."

**Then he dreamed that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons. He was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of flames from Malfoy's steed's mouth, when he realized he had forgotten his Firebolt.**

"He has the strangest dreams," Tonks murmured.

"Why am I suddenly having a feeling of Déjà vu?" Minerva whispered to Albus who nodded in understanding. The image of Harry being chased by a dragon, not even a year after this dream had happened, during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament came to his mind. Maybe he should have Harry could take over for Divination class?

**He fell through the air and woke with a start.**

**It was a few seconds before Harry remembered that the match hadn't taken place yet, that he was safe in bed, and that the Slytherin team definitely wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons. **

"Though if could, they would," Sirius declared unpleasantly.

**He was feeling very thirsty. Quietly as he could, he got out of his four-poster and went to pour himself some water from the silver jug beneath the window.**

**The grounds were still and quiet. No breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest; the Whomping Willow was motionless and innocent-looking.**

Remus narrowed his eyes at the mention of the Whomping Willow and looked over to Sirius, but didn't say anything.

**It looked as though the conditions for the match would be perfect.**

**Harry set down his goblet and was about to turn back to his bed when something caught his eye. An animal of some kind was prowling across the silvery lawn.**

**Harry dashed to his bedside table, snatched up his glasses, and put them on, then hurried back to the window. It couldn't be the Grim — not now — not right before the match —**

Remus gave Sirius a surprised look, had Sirius been there that night? He saw that Sirius was also frowning slightly, but not as if he was upset over anything… more like he was trying hard to remember that night.

"Of course it can't be the Grim," Tonks said. "Honestly, Trelawney making him almost as paranoid as Mad-Eye!"

"You know," Kingsley said, "If it is Sirius, then she did predict that he would appear."

"Coincidence," Minerva dismissed carelessly.

**He peered out at the grounds again and, after a minute's frantic searching, spotted it. It was skirting the edge of the forest now… It wasn't the Grim at all… it was a cat… Harry clutched the window ledge in relief as he recognized the bottlebrush tail. It was only Crookshanks…**

"Awww," Tonks cried out. "That's a bit of a let-down." At least until she read the next five words.

**Or was it only Crookshanks? **

"What's that supposed to mean?" Molly couldn't help but ask.

**Harry squinted, pressing his nose flat against the glass. Crookshanks seemed to have come to a halt. Harry was sure he could see something else moving in the shadow of the trees too.**

**And just then, it emerged — a gigantic, shaggy black dog, moving stealthily across the lawn, Crookshanks trotting at its side.**

"I'm sure he was," Remus said smiling over at Sirius. "Crookshanks never leaves your side when you're around."

"Like I said," Sirius smirked, "That is one smart cat."

**Harry stared. What did this mean? **

"That you're not gonna die any time soon!" called Sirius loudly, as if hoping that Harry would hear him and get understand that.

**If Crookshanks could see the dog as well, how could it be an omen of Harry's death?**

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" Sirius exclaimed in frustration. "Just because I look like it, it doesn't mean I am the Grim!"

"Please, stop the yelling," Remus whimpered at the noise, and rubbed his ears.

"Sorry," Sirius mumbled.

**"****Ron!" Harry hissed. "Ron! Wake up!"**

**"****Huh?"**

**"****I need you to tell me if you can see something!"**

**"****S'all dark, Harry," Ron muttered thickly. "What're you on about?"**

**"****Down here —"**

**Harry looked quickly back out of the window.**

**Crookshanks and the dog had vanished. Harry climbed onto the windowsill to look right down into the shadows of the castle, but they weren't there. Where had they gone?**

"If you keep this up, Sirius," Tonks said. "Harry's going to think he's going mad."

"But where did you disappear to?" asked Minerva, a puzzled frown creasing her brow.

But it was Remus who answered grimly, "Down the passage into the Willow, no doubt."

"Yeah, I remember now," Sirius muttered. "I wanted to roam the grounds that night, just to get out and about you know? I didn't stay long… I went back to the Shrieking Shack after a few hours. If I'd known that Harry was watching…"

**A loud snore told him Ron had fallen asleep again.**

**Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next day to enormous applause. **

Sirius beamed proudly, and looked round impressively.

**Harry couldn't help grinning broadly as he saw that both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were applauding them too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed. Harry noticed that Malfoy looked even paler than usual.**

"How is that possible?" Tonks couldn't help but ask, remembering how pale the Malfoys are. "He must've looked like a ghost."

"He really did," Remus spoke up as he thought back to that day.

"He should be nervous," muttered Sirius smugly. "He's about to lose the cup."

**Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again.**

**"****Good luck, Harry!" called Cho. Harry felt himself blushing.**

"Awww," grinned Sirius. "He's all embarrassed… bless him. But he really shouldn't be distracted by a girl right before the start of an important match." He couldn't wait to tease Harry about this…

**"****Okay — no wind to speak of — sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it — ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a fast kickoff —"**

"Not a bad observation," Kingsley said. "He would make a fine Quidditch player someday."

"Now if only he'd learn to care more for his teammates," Minerva stated frostily.

"Wonder how he would react if they lost," Tonks asked thoughtfully.

"He'd probably go back to the showers and try to drown himself again," said Sirius sympathetically.

**Wood paced the field, staring around with the team behind him. Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance and the rest of the school spilling onto the lawn.**

**"****Locker rooms," said Wood tersely.**

**None of them spoke as they changed into their scarlet robes. Harry wondered if they were feeling like he was: as though he'd eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast. In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, "Okay, it's time, let's go —"**

**They walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP." **

"Did you have one of those, Professor Moony?" Sirius asked him quickly.

"No… as a teacher, I really shouldn't be favoring on team over another," Remus said.

"Oh, come on, Remus!" Sirius groaned; little did he know that Remus had been wearing a scarlet rosette under his cloak that day…

**Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.**

"He actually knows how to smile?" Sirius repeated in surprise. "Well it did say a grim smile…" he smirked, "Even he knows they're about to lose…"

"Ok, Sirius," Kingsley muttered. "I'm glad to see you enjoying yourself again, but I think we get it."

**"****And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years —"**

**Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of 'boos' from the Slytherin end.**

"Don't boo him for telling the truth!" Sirius cried happily, wishing that he could've been there to see his godson play that day. He would've killed to have been sitting in that crowd and cheering his old team on…

**"****And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill —"**

Sirius snorted and Tonks seemed to be fighting a laugh, but went on with a slight quiver in her voice.

**More boos from the Slytherin crowd. Harry, however, thought Lee had a point. Malfoy was easily the smallest person on the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous.**

"Well, they shouldn't be picking their team like that," said Molly anxiously.

"It's to make up for the lack of brain power," said Sirius, trying to picture all those trolls in green.

"They went for brawn rather than brains?" Tonks burst out in a renewed fit of giggles. "Oh, that's sure to come back to bit them later. What's the point in size if they don't know how to play?"

"Actually, some of them do know how to play," Minerva said calmly.

"I bet they cheat," Sirius said to himself.

**"****Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch.**

**Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.**

"Do they always do that?" Molly asked.

"Only when it's between Gryffindor and Slytherin," Albus replied nonchalantly. "Usually, with the other teams, it's much more sportsman-like. Though still very fierce."

**"****Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three… two… one…"**

**The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Harry felt his hair fly back off his forehead; his nerves left him in the thrill of the flight; he glanced around, saw Malfoy on his tail, and sped off in search of the Snitch.**

A big grin appeared on Sirius's face—he could just picture it all as if he was watching it for real…

**"****And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinner of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no — Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing UP the field — WHAM! — nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by — Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Angelina — nice swerve around Montague — duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger! – SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"**

"YES," Tonks and Sirius cheered.

**Angelina punched the air as she soared around the end of the field; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight.**

**"****OUCH!"**

"What happened now?" Arthur asked in concern.

**Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her.**

Minerva's eyes flashed dangerous as Kingsley was shaking his head in disappointment.

"FILTHY CHEATERS!" Sirius bellowed, glaring at the book—now really getting into the story. "NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF SORE LOSERS!"

"What a lousy jerk!" protested Tonks. "She scores a goal and you try to knock her off the broom?!"

"That's usually what happens in all Quidditch matches," Albus reminded them all as he folded his fingers together and was listening with bright interest.

**"****Sorry!" said Flint as the crowd below booed. "Sorry, didn't see her!"**

"Yeah, right," Tonks sneered. "I'm sure he didn't."

**A moment later, Fred Weasley chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.**

"Nice one Fred," Sirius snickered.

Molly shook her head, knowing full well that that was something that her son would do. She had mixed feelings for that stunt however…

"And that was only in the first five minutes after the whistle was blown," sighed Albus. Yes, that game had been one of the most foul ever played at Hogwarts.

**"****That will do!" shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between then. "Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"**

"They started it," Sirius said huffily.

**"****Come off it, Miss!" howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty.**

**"****Come on, Alicia!" yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd. "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"**

"GO ALICIA!" Sirius yelled, and the others in the room glanced at each other in exasperation at this. It seemed as though Sirius had truly forgotten that this already happened and was losing himself in the game; though no one else could disagree that they loved this new atmosphere that only a Quidditch match could bring. It seemed to be able to erase all the dread and gloomy parts from their minds as they listened to the excitement and fun.

The Quidditch match was proving to be a wonderful release to the tension of the previous chapters, and of other aspects of the story. To simply lose themselves in the game, which was as simple as win or lose, was an incredible relief.

Tonks was beaming, and with every line she seemed to become louder and more keyed up.

**Harry turned the Firebolt sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, fly forward to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goal posts, his jaw clenched.**

**"'****Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!" Lee Jordan told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. "Superb! Very difficult to pass — very difficult indeed — YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"**

"Didn't he just praise him like five seconds ago?" Arthur asked.

"I think that he was just saying it," Tonks said.

**Relieved, Harry zoomed away, gazing around for the Snitch, but still making sure he caught every word of Lee's commentary. It was essential that he hold Malfoy off the Snitch until Gryffindor was more than fifty points up —**

"They'll do it," said Sirius, his fists clenched in pride, "They're the best team there! Everyone knows it!"

**"****Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession — no! Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field — THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"**

**Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head. **

Sirius gasped, stunned. "That was a joke, right? What's the point of grabbing her head? It will only give Gryffindor another penalty."

"That's terrible! They should send him off for that!" Molly and Tonks stormed.

"They won't though," sighed Albus. "It's happened plenty of times."

**Katie cart-wheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle.**

"But why bother to cheat so obviously," asked Remus. "I mean, Gryffindor'll get a penalty for that, won't they?"

"Yeah, but they do it to bring morale down and get tempers soaring," said Sirius. "That way you lose concentration. It's what they do best."

**Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker.**

**"****THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING —"**

**"****Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way —"**

**"****I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"**

"Too right he is!" exclaimed Sirius. "It's not his fault the Slytherins are cheating sore losers!" Sirius scowled.

"That doesn't mean that they should resort to swearing," Minerva replied. "There were children in that crowd!"

**Harry felt a huge jolt of excitement. He had seen the Snitch — **

"No!" Tonks cried out, unable to stop herself. "It's too soon!"

**it was shimmering at the foot of one of the Gryffindor goal posts — but he mustn't catch it yet — and if Malfoy saw it —**

**Faking a look of sudden concentration, Harry pulled his Firebolt around and sped off toward the Slytherin end — it worked. Malfoy went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there…**

"Brilliant," grinned Sirius pride shining in his eyes. "That's my boy! Malfoy knows fine well that Harry's better than him, therefore more likely to see the Snitch before he does!"

"They really shouldn't have made him Seeker," said Kingsley.

"But at least it makes it easier for Gryffindor to win," said Arthur.

"Yeah," agreed Kingsley, "But still… Slytherin should've gone for talent, not good brooms."

**WHOOSH.**

**One of the Bludgers came streaking past Harry's right ear, hit by the gigantic Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Then again…**

**WHOOSH.**

**The second Bludger grazed Harry's elbow. The other Beater, Bole, was closing in. Harry had a fleeting glimpse of Bole and Derrick zooming toward him, clubs raised —**

"WHAT!" Molly screamed in outrage. "IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT THEY SEND THE BLUDGERS AFTER HIM, BUT THEY TRIED TO KNOCK HIM OFF HIS BROOM WITH CLUBS?!"

"I'd like to see them try, especially since Harry has such a superior broom to them," said Sirius smiling.

**He turned the Firebolt upward at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch.**

They all howled with laughter at the Slytherins getting beat at their own game through Harry's unmistakable talent—except for Albus who seemed to be hiding a smile, and Minerva who was thinking back to that game.

"Take that you cheating…!" shouted Sirius, causing others to stare at him and slowly shake their heads in incredulity.

"THEY TRIED TO HIT HIM!" Sirius yelled in justification. "THEY JUST GOT WHAT THEY DESERVE!"

**"****Ha haaa!" yelled Lee Jordan as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle — Flint alongside her — poke him in the eye, Angelina! **

They all chuckled at the brave and daring commentator. They especially admired his raw nerve of saying that when he had Professor McGonagall sitting right next to him. Albus's eyes twinkled at her knowingly; knowing full well that she really thought that his commentaries were funny like everyone else.

— **it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke — oh no — Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save —!"**

**But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.**

"Should never have given it to him in the first-place," muttered a highly disgruntled Minerva.

**"****Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession —"**

**It was turning into the dirtiest game Harry had ever played in. **

"It was certainly one of the dirtiest games I have ever seen," murmured Albus. "And I'm also including several World Championships that I've seen."

"Never thought that you would go out and go to games," Tonks said.

"I've been invited as a special guest to a few," he admitted. "Believe it or not, I do love getting out and enjoying myself too. Not that I've been doing that lately of course."

"Oh, poor you," Sirius grumbled sarcastically.

**Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. **

"Yeah because THAT makes perfect sense!" Tonks yelled.

"You have to have been hit by a Bludger to believe that," Sirius said jerkily. "That has to be one of the most pathetic excuses I've ever heard! And I went to school with Wormtail!"

**George Weasley elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor.**

**The Snitch had disappeared again. Malfoy was still keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it once Gryffindor was fifty points ahead —**

**Katie scored.**

"This is getting good!" Tonks told them all and went on quickly before anyone could say anything else.

**Fifty-ten. Fred and George Weasley were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.**

**Madam Hooch was beside herself —**

"I don't blame her," Minerva said darkly. "That was completely low!"

**"****YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. "Gryffindor penalty!"**

**And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten.**

"Yes," Arthur cheered. "If they could only hold out a bit longer…"

**Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Alicia seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal — seventy-ten.**

"Great! All Harry has to do now is find the Snitch!" Sirius yelled eagerly.

"Come on Harry!" Tonks cried, clenching her fists. "CATCH THE SNITCH NOW!"

**The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse — Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was theirs. Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field, high above the rest of the game, with Malfoy speeding along behind him.**

"COME ON, HARRY!" cried Sirius, actually jumping to his feet and clapping like a little girl would… Remus laughed as he pulled him back down.

**And then he saw it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above him.**

"YES! GO! GO!" Tonks and Sirius squealed, excitement causing Sirius to jump up and down on the spot and flap his hands around like a maniac. The others leaned forward eagerly in their seats while several of the more mature members exchanged looks, amused, but they too could feel the excitement rising.

**Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears; he stretched out his hand, but suddenly, the Firebolt was slowing down —**

"Why would it slow down?" Sirius demanded, the smile fading a little bit. What was going on here?

**Horrified, he looked around. Malfoy had thrown himself forward, grabbed hold of the Firebolt's tail, and was pulling it back.**

Sirius stared, open-mouthed at the book. "What? Why that… that… Slytherin!" he exclaimed furiously. So angry he couldn't think of a better insult. "I can't believe that I'm surprised that he would do something like that!"

"He can't do that! Surely that's cheating!" Molly cried, outraged.

"You bet it is," Tonks growled.

"I think that was the whole point," Kingsley stated.

**"****You —"**

**Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, **

"So hit him," Sirius begged in annoyance. "Or at the least kick him in the face!"

**but couldn't reach — Malfoy was panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he'd wanted to do — the Snitch had disappeared again.**

"At least we're safe in the knowledge that Malfoy knows for a fact that Harry's far better than him, and he has to resort to cheating tactics like that," said Tonks snootily.

"True," Sirius said cheering up.

**"****Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics." Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.**

"Well, the Slytherin team was always known to cheat where they could," Minerva said, thinking with distaste how Severus treated his own House with such disregard for the rules. She wasn't the only one…

"And Severus says that Gryffindors are the biggest problem Hogwarts has," Arthur said.

"No," Sirius corrected. "He thinks Harry is the biggest problem Hogwarts has. What I wouldn't give to…"

Tonks, who wasn't listening, kept going.

**"****YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B —"**

They all gasped and laughed at Lee's nerve to say something like that.

"I'd love to meet this kid," Sirius laughed at that.

**Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoy's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.**

"You?" Tonks asked her with her eyebrows raised and Minerva looked away with dignity.

"He was completely out of line. I'd never seen such cheating before during a game in my life," she said stubbornly.

"Yeah," Sirius whispered to Remus and Tonks. "And she wanted Gryffindor to win already."

**Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights.**

**"****Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal — Montague scores —" Lee groaned. "Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor…"**

"They're getting confident," Kingsley said slowly. "That always leads to defeat."

"Oh, please get confident," Sirius cheered on. "That's only going to be more painful once Harry nabs that Snitch from right under Malfoy's nose."

**Harry was now marking Malfoy so closely their knees kept hitting each other. Harry wasn't going to let Malfoy anywhere near the Snitch…**

**"****Get out of it, Potter!" Malfoy yelled in frustration as he tried to turn and found Harry blocking him.**

**"****Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Angelina, COME ON!"**

**Harry looked around. Every single Slytherin player apart from Malfoy was streaking up the pitch toward Angelina, including the Slytherin Keeper — they were all going to block her — **

"They can't do that!" Molly cried out.

"Oh, yes they can," Remus said. "It's a risky move of course… with no one guarding the posts… but if this had worked then Angelina might've been seriously hurt."

"Knowing Slytherins," Sirius growled. "They would've done something like that."

**Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forward. Like a bullet, he shot toward the Slytherins.**

**"****AAAAAAARRRGH!"**

Tonks actually let out a loud scream at that, which caused them all to hold their ears in pain, but with also slight humor as well.

**They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Angelina's way was clear.**

**"****SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty Points to twenty!"**

"Yes, so hurry up and catch the Snitch!" Sirius applauded.

"You're starting to sound like a broken record again, Padfoot," Remus said.

**Harry, who had almost pelted headlong into the stands, skidded to a halt in midair, reversed, and zoomed back into the middle of the field.**

**And then he saw something to make his heart stand still. Malfoy was diving, a look of triumph on his face — there, a few feet above the grass below, was a tiny, golden glimmer —**

"NOOO…" Sirius gasped in horror, long since forgotten who really won that day.

**Harry urged the Firebolt downward, but Malfoy was miles ahead —**

**"****Go! Go! Go!" Harry urged his broom. He was gaining on Malfoy — Harry flattened himself to the broom handle as Bole sent a Bludger at him — he was at Malfoy's ankles — he was level —**

"Go Harry…" Sirius rooted on happily almost bursting with excitement. "That's it, come on, Harry!"

**Harry threw himself forward, took both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy's arm out of the way and —**

**"YES!"**

"YES!" repeated almost everyone. Not only the Quidditch lovers, but all of them were grinning broadly. Finally, something in this book that was unmistakably a triumph. His smile practically splitting his face in two, Sirius shouted out, "YOU GOT IT, YOU WON THE CUP! OH, I'D KILL TO HAVE SEEN THAT!"

**He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings hopelessly against his fingers.**

Molly was laughing and Minerva seemed to be smiling at the memories as Remus sighed at his friends' seemed to be besides himself with joy, but there was a smile on his face. Kingsley, Albus, and Tonks were also laughing at Sirius's glee. Tonks picked up the book again and began to read, pleased the book was finally taking a positive turn.

**Then Wood was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them; then Angelina's, Alicia's, and Katie's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!" Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor team sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth.**

"They're won the Cup! They've won the Cup!" Sirius sang softly, his joy and excitement evident in his voice.

**Wave upon wave of crimson supporters was pouring over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on their backs. Harry had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on him. Then he, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, he saw Hagrid, Plastered with crimson rosettes — "Yeh beat 'em, Harry, yeh beat 'em! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!"**

"That had to have made his day," Tonks said joyfully.

**There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; **

"Of course she was," whispered Sirius fondly into Remus's ear. "She's an even bigger Quidditch fanatic than all of us."

"I never knew that she cared that much," said Remus. "Maybe Severus rubbed it in her face one too many times and she wanted to win to shut him up!"

**and there, fighting their way toward Harry, were Ron and Hermione. Words failed them. They simply beamed as Harry was borne toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup.**

**If only there had been a Dementor around… As a sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, as he lifted it into the air, Harry felt he could have produced the world's best Patronus.**

"And that's the end of a good chapter," Tonks said happily as she closed the book and shut her eyes tiredly. Everyone smiles at the great end of the chapter, pleased this chapter ended on a good note.

Sirius then asked, still grinning. "Shall we stop on that good—correction, on that _wonderful_—chapter and go?"

"Good idea, mate," agreed Remus tiredly, but he smiled at Sirius all the same, and Sirius grinned in return.

"Well, that certainly was a good way to end for the night," Albus said as he stood up and stretched. He pulled out his watch and said, "I think we should be able to make it back at around ten tomorrow? Right after breakfast? Is that alright with everyone?"

When no one objected, he and Minerva said goodbye to them all and left quickly, obviously wanting to get back to the school. The two Weasleys also bade them goodnight, and Kingsley bowed to them as the three of them left. Tonks yawned and asked, "Is it alright if I stay the night? I'm too tired to go home right now."

"Hey, no problem," Sirius said happily and almost skipped his way off towards the kitchen.

Tonks then asked Remus, "Have you ever seen him this happy?"

"Yes," Remus chuckled. "But not for awhile. I wish that we had this chapter sooner. Hopefully, it'll last him for a while."

Just as Tonks nodded, Sirius came back with… surprisingly—three bottles of Butterbeer and said, "A toast to Gryffindor's victory!"

"This all happened two years ago, Sirius," Remus laughed, but took the bottle anyway. It was certainly nice change to see Sirius drinking something besides Firewhiskey.

"I know!" Sirius said joyously. "But we haven't had a chance to celebrate until now! A toast!"

Laughing, the two of them just decided to humor him. His happiness was infectious and they couldn't help but raise their bottles in celebration.

**(Ending on that happy note, hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. Also I'm going to tell you all that Snape is going to join them for the next day… plus they'll going to get someone new to come in and listen to the story with the rest of them as well. Can you guess who? Hint: It's not Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Have fun guessing…)**


	23. Conflicting Feelings

**(Ok, I've gotten several suggestions to who this new character I'm bringing in might be. Almost everyone has given guesses, but only one person got it right. So congrats to ****anonymous. Hope you all like the little plot twist I added.)**

**Chapter 20: Conflicting Feelings**

Sirius woke up bright and early the next morning. His good mood at reading about the Quidditch match had faded ever so slightly now that he had let it sink in. But nonetheless, he got up with a big grin and went around the room looking for the book; hoping that the next few chapters will be as good as the last one.

So of course, he had no idea what was going on in the kitchen below…

_*Downstairs*_

Remus yawned widely as he began making himself some strong coffee; he blinked and in doing so realized that his eyes watered and stung with tiredness. Normally he was an early riser—but he hadn't had much sleep since Sirius insisted on celebrating for most of the night—not that Remus tried hard to convince his friend to go to bed. This was the first time that Remus had seen him look that jolly in a long, long time. Remus supposed, he should have tried to have talked Sirius into getting some sleep, but he didn't want to do anything that could cause Sirius to fall back into depression and continue to blame himself for the past.

Yawning again, Remus stretched his arms out high until his stiff shoulders made several satisfying cracking noise and he rubbed the back of his neck. He groaned in a tired way as he pushed his battered and torn book away from him—for the first time in his life—he wasn't looking forward to finishing a book. That last chapter ended on such a happy note… but if there was one thing he learned from these books it was that happiness doesn't last long. They were finally nearing the end of year three… which meant that things were going to be getting dangerous again very soon.

Just as he closed his book, he jumped in his seat as the kitchen door creaked noisily and looked up—expecting to see Sirius… but it was Tonks who entered. She seemed surprised to find him sitting there, but she smiled that bright smile that sent the inside of Remus' stomach whirling.

"Tonks! I thought you were Sirius."

"That's a nice thing to hear first thing in the morning," Tonks teased. "Sorry to ruin your day. I think he's coming down soon though. I wasn't expecting either of you to be up this early after that little party the three of us had last night. I thought that you were still in bed." She started punching her shoulder, trying to work out a stiff muscle as she sat at the table with him.

Remus leapt up almost as soon as she sat down and began making another cup of coffee for her. In the faint morning light, Remus saw that she looked tired—in fact there were even the start of dark rings circling her now green eyes which were puffy and red—and her hair wasn't any one of the bright shades he was accustomed to seeing; but had turned to a unusual mousy brown color. This wasn't like the Tonks that he knew.

As she turned in her chair to look at him, her legs somehow became entangled with the chair and caused her to fall over.

"Oww," she muttered, and looked embarrassed. Which was strange to him because he was used to hearing her admit how clumsy she was without a second thought. Remus bit his lip to stop himself from chuckling at her pink face; so he pretended that he didn't notice this as she struggled to get back to her feet. Just as she got back into her seat, he finished pouring the drink into a mug.

"Coffee?" he asked her once he felt it was safe to talk again. She took it with a soft 'thank you' and looked down at the table surface, as if hoping to fade away. What was with her today?

Now that he had company—and he had always enjoyed Tonks' company—his tiredness had faded almost at once. He didn't know how… but being with her brought him a sense of peace that he never felt anywhere else.

"What are you reading?" Tonks asked conversationally as she took several small sips and he could tell that she was trying to change the subject. "Are you re-reading the books again? Or are you going on ahead of us? You know that's not fair if you are…"

"Oh, no," he answered as he picked it up and showed it to her. "I just wanted to go through this again."

It was _'Hogwarts, A History.'_

"Don't we hear enough of that in the books?" Tonks asked raising her eyebrows at him. "Hermione brings it up every chance she gets."

"It is a good read," he told her. "And it feels more… real in a way."

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked curiously.

"I mean…" he said slowly. "It's the strangest feeling reading about yourself in a book. You know exactly what's about to happen… but you see it from another person's point of view. You can't help but wonder where these books came from and who… or _what_ wrote them? It's almost as if someone was writing all this from inside Harry's head."

"I've been wondering about that for a while," Tonks stated. "You said you found them in the Room of Requirements right?"

He nodded. "Like I said before, they were all sitting there on a table and I just took them… I don't know why, but I just grabbed them, and the next thing I know, I was here showing them to Sirius."

They were both quiet for a few minutes and then Tonks asked, "You think maybe Harry wrote them or something? I mean… they are from his point of view after all?"

Remus hadn't thought about that… he thought that theory over and then shook his head. "I don't think so. Harry doesn't open up to just anyone. And these books… they're full of all his memories, his secrets, and feelings. But if he did write them, then why would he just leave them lying around? No, I don't think that he would do it. Or at the least keep a closer eye on them."

"Maybe he thought that they were safe in the Room of Requirements?" Tonks offered and again Remus shook his head again.

"No," he told her. "You've read what he's like. He doesn't like to share what's wrong with him. It doesn't matter if he's feeling bad or not… he keeps what's bothering him inside. Even if he did write all this, which I doubt he did, I don't think he could put so much of his personal life into them. I think that these books came from somewhere else. But I'm just not sure where yet. Since I taught him myself, I know how private he can be."

"Still wish you were a Hogwarts teacher?" she questioned softly after take a sip of coffee and Remus looked up in surprise.

He frowned as he took a long gulp of his drink, the black coffee burning his mouth and throat; it wasn't something he'd really thought about since he had left the school. He had just accepted that having a stable, paid job—and one that he enjoyed—wasn't destined for him.

"Yes… and no," he answered honestly. "Yes, because I enjoyed every minute of it. Doing something I loved—teaching the students in a castle that was once a second home to me—having three delicious square meals a day, good pay, and watching everyone enjoy my classes. Who wouldn't miss that? But also, no, because at the end of that year I realized just how dangerous to the students I was. And I had to do what was best and so I left."

Tonks smiled sadly. There was a pause as they both sat in silence.

"From what we've been reading," she chided gently. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Remus. You are a fantastic teacher and I know that they all must've been miserable to see you go."

Raising his eyebrows, Remus wondered how she could say that. He knew he had been a good teacher, at least better than their last two teachers, but he surely wasn't the safest one to be around. Just the thought of what could have happened that night if Sirius didn't take charge and protect the kids sent shivers down his spine.

"Weren't you listening at all?" Tonks went into more detail, "All of those kids loved you!"

"Only because they didn't know what I was at the time," he sighed. "I'm sure that changed once they found out."

Sighing, they drank in silence for a good couple of minutes, each lost in their own pattern of thought. There had only been a handful of people in his life with whom Remus had felt comfortable enough in their presence not to have to enforce conversation. Tonks was one of these people.

His feelings towards her were driving him crazy with confusion. Yes, he loved her—how or when that happened, he wasn't sure. But whether it was only their friendship she valued, or something more, Remus wasn't sure or wasn't sure that he wanted to know how she felt. But his heart sank whenever he considered that the large age gap as well as his being a werewolf were reasons enough that the two of them could never be together.

"You're frowning again. Knut for your thoughts?" Tonks asked innocently, breaking the uncomfortable silence and breaking off Remus's dark thoughts. He looked away from her, knowing if he looked into her face, he would spill all his secrets to her.

For no apparent reason, she stood up quickly and moved to stand in front of the fireplace. And before he could stop himself—Remus automatically followed until he stood right next to her, staring at the feeble fire that he had started to help warm the room. For a few moments, he merely stood motionless beside her, trying to think of something to say. But as he watched, her petite frame seemed to have stiffened and became rigid.

"Tonks?" he whispered in worry. He was cautious as he stepped closer and loosely grasped her elbow. She didn't move away from him but didn't look at him either. As he looked at her, he had to admit one thing that was for sure. She was beautiful. There was no way he could ever deny that. Her pale skin showed to be perfect as the reflection of the flames danced over her heart-shaped face, and her eyes were soft and loving.

But as he watched, a single tear stopped halfway down her cheek—her eyes now shining in confusion. Remus lifted a hand slowly and brushed it away with his thumb.

"Remus," she murmured in a whisper.

And then she turned and was in his arms. Startled, he hadn't given a second thought to holding her; it had just felt right. Tonks buried her face in his shoulder as he was able to breathe in her sweet scent, and gently began to rock her back and forth, his arms wrapped around her securely.

"I don't know why," she said at long last. "But I just feel so helpless. After finding all this out, I feel that everything that I've been doing to stop Voldemort pales in comparison to what a bunch of kids have been doing for years. I don't know what to do."

"I know," Remus nodded in agreement. "But it'll be ok, Tonks I promise." A voice in the back of his mind told him that he should let go before it was to late—before he fell in deeper in love—but this time, he choose to ignore that voice.

"That does it," she concluded bluntly before leaning back into Remus' body, laying her head back on his shoulder. "No more butterbeer before bedtime for me."

The ease that she seemed to be in triggered something in him. It was against his better judgment that he raised a hand to stroke her hair, which smelled curiously of bubblegum.

"Thank you, Remus," she whispered as he continued to run his hand through her hair. He thought his heart might melt at the emotion—from just those three words. He lowered his hand.

Very slowly, Tonks raised her head again so that she was close, much closer then they should've been. And those eyes that he loved so dearly showed no conflict when they met his own—and slowly, she began to raise her lips even closer to him. Without realizing what he was doing, Remus also began to lower his own mouth to hers, his eyes closing…

But just as their lips were only centimeters apart, the kitchen door banged open they both jumped away instantly. Sirius was standing the door appearing—looking both shocked and embarrassed at what he just walked in on.

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, his voice higher than usual, coming back to reality. Sirius stopped dead as he realized what he had just walked in on and cleared his throat loudly. He suddenly moved with rapid speed to the nearest cupboard.

"I was just—ah—er—coming down here to get some breakfast," he mumbled.

Remus panicked. Sirius' interruption had brought him back down to earth. Afraid to steal a glance at a motionless Tonks, he turned and ran, aiming for the door, saving his thoughts concerning Tonks and what he almost dead until he was sure that he was alone.

_*Later*_

"Look, I'm sorry," Sirius hissed to Tonks for the umpteenth time. "If I had known that he was finally making his move, I would've waited a little longer."

"It's ok," Tonks said, but she didn't sound ok at all.

Grimacing, Sirius clamped her on the shoulder and said, "Well, I have something that might cheer you up. I decided to call in another friend to listen to the rest of the story with us."

"Who?" Tonks asked quickly. "Remember what Mad-Eye said. It's too dangerous to have too many people know about the books."

Sirius grinned again and said, "Don't worry. I know for a fact he won't be telling anyone else. He'll be here when everyone else does." He checked his watch and sighed, "In fact, he should be here soon."

It was only a few minutes later that Sirius had retrieved the book and sat it down on the drawing room table while their new reading buddy just getting comfortable. He was just about to leave the room when he almost ran over Tonks just outside the door.

"Well," teased Sirius as he caught himself from falling at the last second, "Look what the wolf dragged in."

Tonks shot him a glare. "I don't know what to do!" she wailed. "I thought… well, that Remus might have shown his face by now," she admitted quietly with a glance up the stairs to where Remus's bedroom was.

"He hides himself with he mopes around," Sirius informed her. "A trick that he seemed to have picked up from me. But what are you going to do about it? What's your plan? You want to stay here an try to win him over?"

Tonks sighed sharply and griped her hair in a exasperated way.

"I don't get it!" she exclaimed. "I thought he said that he loved me. But the look on his face after…"

Sirius interrupted her. "He does love ya, Tonks. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that he doesn't care about you anymore," he said in a kindly. "It's… it's just really difficult for him."

"I understand that," Tonks said quietly. "And I've been waiting very patiently for him. But he just keeps putting himself down. I mean, doesn't he realize by now that I don't care that he is what he is. Come on! It's not like he choose this life for him! I couldn't care less if he gets a tail and four legs once a month."

"But Remus does," Sirius pointed out. "To him, his werewolf problem is everything stopping him from ever having a relationship. And, I know for a fact that he also counts his wealth and age problems too."

"But I don't care!" snapped Tonks, angry now. Slight tears welled in her eyes and she wiped them away in frustration. "How can he hurt me any more than what he's doing to me now?"

Sighing, Sirius reached over and patted her arm.

"It's annoying… especially since he's one of the most stubborn people I've ever met," he admitted. "But I can see where he's coming from. You have to understand that Remus is not used to letting people get close to him. It's hard for him to let _anybody _in. He's too afraid of what he is, and what his condition might cause problems or trouble for somebody he cares about," he hesitated for a moment and finished, "And being alone for twelve years probably hasn't helped with that."

"I'm not bothered about what anybody thinks," she said sullenly. "I mean, I have to go out of my way to be different! I like him, werewolf or not. And if he does like me, then he shouldn't let that get in the way of us getting together!"

Sirius smiled gravely, both at her slight naivety and her stubbornness. He knew that he was right… she was perfect for his gloomy friend.

"Why don't you tell him all this then?" he suggested gently, knowing full well that it would take a great deal of clever persuasion to convince that stubborn old wolf that he needed a girl in his life.

"If he'd show his face, I would," she muttered. At that moment thought there was a strange kind of shriek coming from the drawing room which caused her to jump in surprise.

She looked over Sirius's shoulder and noticed the new member of their group and let out a squeal of revelation. "BUCKBEAK!" she cried happily as she pushed passed Sirius and entered the room. Buckbeak the Hippogriff, who was lying in front of the fireplace, with a crackling fire was going and warming his feathers—as he looked up. Tonks came to a sudden stop when Buckbeak clicked his beak angrily at them. Tonks bowed down immediately, very careful not to lose eye contact. She didn't want to aggravate him. Buckbeak regarded her for a moment, but Tonks didn't back down. Sirius had told her that he had spent so much time with him that she knew it was only annoyed for being startled.

She had bowed low, and waited until Buckbeak had sunk his head in a slight bow and then shut his eyes sleepily. Smiling Tonks came over and gently began stroking Buckbeaks beak—not even noticing that Sirius had slipped out the room.

_*Upstairs*_

"Remus," called Sirius as he knocked on the door, "It's me." He heard Remus sigh with relief just as the door opened.

"Hey," said Sirius glancing at the half of Remus's face that showed through the crack in the door, "You hiding in your room? Why doesn't this surprise me?"

"I'm not hiding," Remus retorted stubbornly.

"Could've fooled me," Sirius answered rolling his eyes. "Tonks wants to talk to you."

A pained expression crossed Remus' face. "Well, I don't feel much like talking right now, thank you."

He tried to shut the door, but Sirius stuck his foot out and prevented him from moving the door any farther. "Moony, you should try getting close to somebody—it would do you good. You have the girl of your dreams downstairs and she wants to be in a relationship with you! At least give it a try."

"I told you before," Remus moaned. "I'm too dangerous for her! She would be better off, far better off, with someone young and…"

"So you're furry once a month!" Sirius groaned. "She's not dumb. She's fully aware of your condition and she would be careful. I mean it's not like she's going to let herself be bitten right? Just make sure you two don't have any visits on the full moon!"

"There is always a chance that there'll be a mistake!" Remus protested weakly.

"And I think that you're like this because you're afraid both of something that would happen only in the unlikeliest of situations," grunted Sirius. "And what other people would think if they found out that she was in love with a werewolf."

"I can't do that to her, Sirius," mumbled Remus bitterly. "She's so young—a lot younger than me. Tonks can't afford to have her life ruined by the stigma attached to my condition. I would make her into an outcast!"

"On the contrary, I think it would make her extremely happy," Sirius replied. "I mean, because of her powers, she already labeled as something of an outcast. But that's hardly the point. She doesn't care about what society thinks of her, Remus. I know she likes you a lot, and she wants to be with you. You should take this change, Moony. I know that I'll never have a chance at true love like this… you need to give it a shot."

All the emotions running across Remus' face, tight and creased, were not difficult to pick out and analyze. Sirius felt saddened for his friend. He did understand how painful this was for his old friend. He knew that Remus was torn between what he thought was right and want he wanted. But he knew that the happiness it would give him would be worth anything that society had to dish out. Show them all that just because he had a condition, it didn't mean that he deserved to be miserable.

"I don't know," Remus sighed, his face showed how torn he was. "I could never forgive myself if something happened…"

"Tonks knows the risks," said Sirius, "And she's willing to give it a try."

"Do you think if she actually saw me as a fully-fledged vicious werewolf she would change her mind?" he half-laughed bitterly at that. "Maybe it would bring her back to her senses."

"She'd be careful, I know she would," Sirius told him. "It's only one night a month that you have to worry about. You have the rest of the time to work everything out."

"Thank you, Sirius," said Remus mockingly, his face still grim.

"Seriously, though," Sirius ventured more solemnly, not even noticing when Remus opened the door all the way. He just walked forward to place both his hands on Remus's thin shoulders, "I have a good feeling about you two. Just… don't allow your condition to waste your life… like you always do."

Remus gazed up at him as he considered his words very carefully.

"Thank you." But the two words were meaningful this time.

Sirius grinned, a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. "Great! Let's get going. I'm sure you can talk with your gal once we're finally done with this damn book."

By the time that the two of them reached the familiar landing, they heard the doorbell ring once again. They both went downstairs to answer it—and sure enough, the two Weasleys, Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and—to Sirius's dismay—all three teachers were back.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius demanded the shallow-faced man who glared at him through curtains of greasy hair as they climbed the staircase into their reading room. "In case you hadn't heard. Story time was so much more enjoyable without you here."

"Not that I was given much of a choice," Severus hissed as he gave a quick glare to Minerva and Albus who were busy bowing to Buckbeak, Kingsley looking amused at the idea of having a hippogriff listening to the story with them, Mad-Eye was rolling his eyes, Molly— was looking a little apprehensive, and Tonks leaning up against Buckbeak's side as she continued to stroke his feathers.

"They said that it would be 'good' for me to get out of my dungeon," Severus spat at Sirius, who was glaring at him with equal distaste. "Or would you rather have me there with your precious godson?" he asked with his lip curling.

Sirius glowered at him. He couldn't deny that he wasn't going to look forward to reading with Snape again, but he would rather have him here and in his sights than anywhere near Harry. "Fine," he growled. "But do everyone else a favor and keep your mouth shut."

"Since when do I need your permission to do anything?" Severus asked jerkily.

Grumpily, Sirius walked right passed him and took his usual seat right next to Remus who was still looking uncertain about earlier.

Everyone else sat down as well, with Mad-Eye saying crankily, "I hope the book gets more interesting from this point."

"You are just so hard to please, Mad-Eye," Tonks said as she stretched out happily. Her head and back leaning against Buckbeak, and her feet stretched out in front of her on the floor. "Just relax and let someone read…" her eyes suddenly lightened up and said, "Unless you would rather…"

"Not on your life," Mad-Eye said grumpily.

"Who wants to read now?" Remus said in a slightly depressed tone.

"I guess, I will," Minerva offered half-heartedly. She was passed the book and took a few minutes to find where they left off. Once she found the right page, she cleared her throat and read out, "**Chapter 16: Professor Trelawney's Prediction**."

**(Before anyone wants to complain, let me add that I wrote at the end of the last chapter that the next character I was bringing in was going to 'listen' not read. Hope you enjoyed this little twist. And also, I hope that you all loved that cute little moment with Remus and Tonks…)**


	24. Professor Trelawney's Prediction

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 21: Professor Trelawney's Prediction**

"I guess, I will," Minerva offered half-heartedly. She was passed the book and took a few minutes to find where they left off. Once she found the right page, she cleared her throat and read out, "**Chapter 16: Professor Trelawney's Prediction**."

Her face went blank with astonishment; not even paying attention to the picture of a hand picking up a decrypted-looking rat. Just skin and bones… it's eyes wide and terrified. She shook her head speechless at the chapter name. "Are you kidding me?" she asked in a skeptical tone, one eyebrow raised in slight disbelief as she looked at them all.

"Does this mean she'll make a actual prediction? She's actually gonna make a real prediction that will come true?" Tonks asked sounding both dubious and impressed at the same time.

"Yes," Albus confirmed. "I was surprised myself when I heard of this as well."

Snape scowled at those words as he thought about that woman's predictions… He couldn't help but wonder what it was about this time.

"You aren't kidding here?" Mad-Eye asked, equally as skeptical as Minerva.

"Wait, you knew about this?" Sirius demanded angrily. "You knew she made a real prophecy?"

"I wasn't even aware she did make one until a couple days after it had happened," Albus explained defensively. "It wasn't to me that she made the prediction to. By the time I did learn of it, it was too late to do anything."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Minerva scoffed, rolling her eyes as she went back to the pages. "A real prediction…"

**Harry's euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. **

"As did the parties," Minerva nodded and Severus gritted his teeth at the memories. The Gryffindors were unbearable during that long week—they were all so—_happy_… he hated that.

"I'm only surprised it didn't last longer than that! Harry deserved every bit of that victory! He earned every second of that celebration." said Sirius, beaming.

Albus looked up at him—smiling sadly. Reading about the Quidditch match in the last chapter was the most animated he had seen Sirius for a long, long time. He hated to think that this happiness would soon turn back to anger directed right at him. He sighed to himself as he glanced back at Minerva who was reading on.

**Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake.**

**But they couldn't. **

"Why not?" demanded Sirius in shock.

"While I'm pleased they won the cup," Minerva told him sternly. "They still had their exams to revise for."

"Come on!" groaned Sirius. "Give them a break!"

**Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. **

Sirius groaned again at that, but most of the others smiled fondly at those memories. Back then, things seemed so much simpler—all of them silently wished that things could go back to those days… where the students weren't involved in war—worrying only about school. War was always hardest on children… kids like Harry was a prime example.

"I hate it when the weather teases you like that," said Sirius sullenly.

**Even Fred and George Weasley had been spotted working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). **

Molly raised her eyebrows and was looking like she seriously doubted this.

"See, Molly, they studied like everyone else," said Arthur smiling.

"Yes, but I see that they didn't work hard enough," she grumbled to herself.

"They're pranksters, yes, but that doesn't mean that they don't care about their exams. At the very least, it stop them from their usual amount of jokes for a short time," replied Remus.

**Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.**

"Yes, but she's taking every class there is," groaned Tonks. "I say that she has every right to act anxious! Imagine what she'll be like when it's her O.W.L.s! Especially if she was still taking every class?!"

"Oh, dear!" moaned Molly in sympathy. "That poor girl! I don't see how she's able to keep pushing herself so hard like this."

"You're really worried about her, aren't you?" Sirius glanced up from his gloomy staring at the book's cover to look over at Molly, who glared back at him.

"Well, of course I am!" she exclaimed. "Aren't you? It's an awful amount of pressure, and she's only a teenager! She should've have to be dealing with this workload anyway!"

**Harry and Ron had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam schedule she had drawn up for herself. **

"Oh, this should be good," Sirius said leaning in to hear how crazy Hermione's schedule had to be.

**The first column read:**

**Monday**

**9 o'clock, Arithmancy**

**9 o'clock, Transfiguration**

**Lunch**

**1 o'clock, Charms**

**1 o'clock, Ancient Runes**

"Hermione should have made it easier and just cloned herself," Kingsley stated.

"She's really trying to kill herself," said Sirius in amazement. "Talk about pressure…"

Severus continued to look sour as he shot a glare at Albus and Minerva, who didn't notice; while Kingsley and Mad-Eye shared a glance—both knowing how she was getting to these classes.

**"****Hermione?" Ron said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days.**

"You don't say?" Tonks said dryly, allowing the others to let out their anxiety about Hermione in a short burst of laughter, though it sounded strained. Buckbeak opened one lazy eye to see what the laughing was all about, but just went right back to sleep.

**"Er – are you sure you've copied down these times right?"**

**"What?" snapped Hermione, picking up the exam schedule and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."**

**"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit two exams at once?" said Harry.**

"No," Sirius said brightly. "But I'm sure that shouldn't stop you from asking. Who knows? She might slip up someday."

**"No," said Hermione shortly. "Have either of you seen my copy of **_**Numerology and Grammatica**_**?"**

"Nice change of subject, Hermione," Remus laughed.

**"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," said Ron, but very quietly. **

"Why would he need that?" Tonks asked, knowing full well that Ron hated reading. "I thought that book was only for Arithmancy?"

"I'm surprised at you, Tonks," Sirius said in mock disappointment as he leaned over the arm of his seat to pat Buckbeak who leaned his head to the touch, clearly enjoying the attention. "He was obviously joking."

Tonks stuck her tongue out at him. "So was I!" she lied quickly.

**Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment around on her table, looking for the book. Just then, there was a rustle at the window and Hedwig fluttered through it, note clutched tightly in her beak. **

**"It's from Hagrid," said Harry ripping the note open. "Buckbeak's appeal – it's set for the sixth." **

At the mention of his name, Buckbeak opened one of his eyes slothfully as he glanced at them all. But when no one said anything else after a moment, he closed it again."Good," said Sirius briskly, "Too bad that it won't do much good!"

**"That's the day we finish our exams," said Hermione, still looking everywhere for her Arithmancy book. **

"She would know that wouldn't she?" Mad-Eye said conversationally.

**"And they're coming up here to do it," said Harry, still reading from the letter. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic – and an executioner." **

"WHAT!" shouted Sirius in outraged, startling Buckbeak awake, who let out a loud shriek of surprise. Tonks turned around and began petting his beak—trying to calm him down. "Is this what the Ministry calls justice?!" Sirius demanded, fuming in rage. "They already decided the verdict before the appeal even started!"

"Horrible!" agreed Kingsley as Buckbeak gave out several angry squawks and gave them all irritated looks.

"Why am I surprised that I'm surprised at this?" Sirius grumbled bitterly. "I knew this was going to happen! I saw it all coming a mile away!"

"An executioner!" gasped Tonks, hugging Buckbeak's head close to her. "But he's so sweet! How could anyone actually think of hurting him?"

"Easy," Sirius grumbled. "The ones in charge at the Ministry have no hearts or souls."

**Hermione looked up, startled. **

**"They're bringing the executioner to the appeal! But that sounds as though they've already decided!" **

"Actually, Malfoy decided that for them long ago," Sirius muttered and no one could say anything to disagree—not even Severus—who knew full well that was what Luciuswould do.

**"Yeah, it does," said Harry slowly. **

**"They can't!" Ron howled. "I've spent**_** ages **_**reading up stuff for him, they can't just ignore it all!" **

"They can, and they probably will," said Sirius, with an ugly look on his face.

**But Harry had a horrible feeling that the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures had had its mind made up for it by Mr. Malfoy. **

"Of course it would be," muttered Arthur darkly. "It wouldn't be the first time he's used threats to get his way."

"Just get over it," Severus said coldly, not liking how they talked about his old friend—even if things were the same anymore. He glanced at Buckbeak and said, "You're pet's right here remember?"

"Do everyone a favor and just shut it, Snape!" Sirius snapped at him.

"I don't remember needing to ask permission from you, Black," Snape said back, his black eyes narrowing with distaste, like he was looking at something disgusting.

"Enough," Albus said, raising his hands up to stop them. "Please, gentlemen. I think it would be for the best to just continue reading. I think that it would be good for all of us."

Sirius and Severus didn't look convinced as they glowered at each other. Albus looked to Minerva and said softly, "Please, continue, Minerva."

She nodded—but it didn't take long for her to be interrupted again.

**Draco, who had been noticeably subdued since Gryffindor's triumph in the Quidditch final, seemed to regain some of his old swagger over the next few days. **

"He's just scraping the bottom of the barrel now isn't he?" Sirius said. "His threats are getting pathetic."

"I can't argue with that seeing how he's acting like a spoiled kid who didn't get what he wanted for Christmas," Tonks agreed.

"Would you both shut up!?" Mad-Eye said grumpily. "At this rate, we won't ever finish!"

**From sneering comments Harry overheard, Malfoy was certain Buckbeak was going to be killed, and seemed thoroughly pleased with himself for bringing it about. It was all Harry could do to stop himself imitating Hermione and hitting Malfoy in the face on these occasions.**

**And the worst thing of all was that they had no time or opportunity to go and see Hagrid, because the strict new security measures had not been lifted, **

"He still has his Cloak," Sirius added quickly.

"No, he doesn't," Tonks reminded him. "He left it in the passageway after that failed trip into Hogsmeade, remember?"

"Thanks for ruining my good mood!" he snapped at her.

"Oh, I wish you'd go back to yesterday!" she snapped back. "At least then you were happy. I gotta say, today you're a real drag!"

Minerva read the rest of the sentence out loudly so that she could be heard over their arguing.

**and Harry didn't dare retrieve his Invisibility Cloak from below the one-eyed witch. **

"Why not?" demanded Sirius, unable to help himself.

"Because he's not like how you were when you were his age," said Molly hotly. "Harry actually cares about getting caught and in trouble!"

"So did we, which is why we tried hard not to get caught!" he told her.

"Not that that worked," Remus informed him. "You always went bragging about it later on, remember? You were always caught."

"That's not important right now!" Sirius told him off. "Harry can't just _leave_ it there! What would he do if he lost it or it was stolen? That Cloak's an indispensable mischief-making tool!"

"He obviously get's it back, Padfoot," Remus reminded him gently.

**Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. The third-years emerged from Transfiguration at lunch-time on Monday limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had been set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. **

"I remember that. I thought that was easy," said Sirius smugly.

"But Transfiguration was always your best subject," said Remus as he thought back to all the huge pranks that he and James pulled off thanks to that skill. At those words, Minerva, pressed her lips together, but not even she could deny that Sirius was always very talented when it came to Transfiguration. Even if he was a loud pain in her class…

**Hermione irritated the rest by fussing about how her tortoise had looked more like a turtle, which was the least of everyone else's worries. **

**"Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare ..." **

**"Were the tortoises **_**supposed**_** to breathe steam?"**

Sirius sniggered. "It's always funny to see how people mess up during an exam."

"Oh, like you never did?" Remus asked with raised eyebrows. "What about that one time in fourth year Herbology with that Fanged Geranium and the shaving cream?"

"Ok, OK!" Sirius yelled as the others all looked interested.

"Yes," Albus muttered as he remembered what they were talking about. He chuckled as he said, "I've heard of that… my, my, that was truly one exam that Professor Sprout never forgot."

"Oooohhh!" Tonks said brightly as she looked at Remus. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later," he promised her and she smiled even wider at him; which caused his stomach to start doing flips again.

Sirius on the other hand didn't look amused as he folded his arms and said under his breath grumpily, "Traitor."

Remus smirked as he heard the next sentence.

**"It still had a willow-patterned shell, d'you think that'll count against me?" **

"With McGonagall?" Sirius grinned as he looked to his old teacher. "Yes."

Minerva didn't even look at him as she went on. (But she knew that what he said was true.)

**Then, after a hasty lunch, it was straight back upstairs for the Charms exam. Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the Charm himself. **

Sirius smirked to himself. Despite her talent for the subject, Lily sometimes over did her charms as well whenever she was nervous. He knew that Lily would've gotten a kick out of that if she knew Harry got that from her as well… his smile faded… thinking like that made his heart constrict painfully.

**After dinner, the students hurried back to their common rooms, not to relax, but to start revising for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Astronomy. Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the following morning with a very preoccupied air indeed; his heart didn't seem to be in it at all. **

"Can't really blame him, can you?" Kingsley interrupted bleakly.

"Who would want to hurt you?" Tonks cooed to Buckbeak who was pruning his feathers.

**He had provided a large tub of Flobberworms for the class, and told them that, to pass the test, their Flobberworm had to still be alive at the end of one hour. **

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Ok, that's got to be the easiest exam I've ever heard. Why couldn't they be that easy for me?"

"Because that's your luck," Mad-Eye barked at her and she stared huffily back at him.

**As Flobberworms flourished best if left to their own devices, it was the easiest exam any of them had ever sat, and also gave Harry, Ron and Hermione plenty of opportunity to speak to Hagrid. **

**"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them, bending low on the pretence of checking that Harry's flobberworm was still alive. "Bin cooped up too long. But still… we'll know day after tomorrow – one way or the other –"**

The room gave a collective shudder at those dark thoughts, and Minerva hurried on, not wanting to dwell on this depressing subject at the moment.

**They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. Try as Harry might, he couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to thicken, and Snape, standing watch with an air of vindictive pleasure, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away.**

Minerva raised an eyebrow and Albus glanced at the Potions Master in regret—who avoided his eyes. Suddenly finding the opposite wall very interesting.

"Why doesn't this surprise me?" Sirius hissed.

"Well, even you have to admit that the boy is no master at such a complicated subject, Black," Severus hissed back.

"I'm sure he could be…" Sirius snapped at him. "IF he had a decent teacher who didn't focus all his time to tormenting his students."

"By all means," Severus said. "Teach the class yourself why don't you?"

"Would if I could," he snarled at him. "I gladly trade this house for Hogwarts wouldn't you?"

**Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Harry scribbled everything Florean Fortescue had ever told him about medieval witch-hunts, while wishing he could have had one of Fortescue's choconut sundaes with him in the stifling classroom. **

Sirius broke off to smack his lips together enthusiastically as his eyes became glassy. Even though he didn't say anything, Remus smiled at him, knowing that Sirius's greatest love would always be to his stomach.

**Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.**

**Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, **

"This sounds like they're almost having fun, Professor Moony," Sirius commented, glancing approvingly at Remus.

"Have you actually done the impossible and made a way to make exams cool, Remus?" asked Tonks, sitting up, impressed. At Tonks's words, he blushed a deep red as he looked down at his lap—but he was listening very carefully to Minerva read out the rest of the paragraph.

**where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart.**

"That's awesome!" Tonks said in awe, whilst Sirius grinned approvingly.

"Best exam ever" he agreed, nodding at Remus and started clapping. "Remus, you have actually made students want to take their exams! You are a miracle worker!"

"It's a great way to really get the students involved with the class," Kingsley agreed, whilst Remus simply smiled sheepishly with the praise.

**"Excellent, Harry," Lupin muttered as Harry climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."**

"Thatta boy!" Sirius said proudly with a grin. "I knew it!"

"His test scores were always high in Defense," chuckled Remus at the memory. "Despite what some may believe," he glanced at Severus pointedly before finishing. "He's completely modest even though he was the best student I had. And I'm not just saying that either. After all, he produced a Corporeal Patronus at his age and that's no easy feat. Most full grown wizards have trouble just creating the mist."

**Flushed with his success, Harry hung around to watch Ron and Hermione. Ron did very well until he reached the Hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the Boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.**

"What is it?" Molly asked in surprise.

"Probably someone telling her she's failed all her exams," said Sirius sarcastically.

**"Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"**

**"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"**

Sirius blinked. "I was kidding!"

"Totally understandable though," said Tonks with a laugh. "McGonagall's scary enough to subject anyone to tears."

Minerva glared at her, and as she started telling her off, Mad-Eye was lost in his thoughts again. Lupin's final exam was an obstacle course of creatures that they have to deal with—not a bad idea to give kids some first hand experience—and one of which is a boggart? And Granger's boggart turns into McGonagall—who upsets Hermione by telling her that she has failed all her classes? The Weasley did joke about that back in Chapter 7 didn't he? Looks like Granger needs to brush up on the boggart charms…

While Mad-Eye thought that over, Albus only smiled a rather too understanding, sad smile. He knew what failure meant to Hermione and to others like her who always tried so hard only to know that they failed. He knew that feeling all too well, after all, how hard had he had to work to try and make up for his worst mistakes? He understood how painful that must've been for her as well as terrifying. Once Minerva had finished telling Tonks off, with Sirius fighting hard not to laugh, she went on.

**It took a little while to calm Hermione down. When at last she had regained a grip on herself, she, Harry, and Ron went back to the castle. Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's Boggart, **

"Well, at least he cared enough not to make fun of her," Molly said approvingly.

**but an argument was averted by the sight that met them on the top of the steps.**

**Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry.**

"Oh, _great_," Sirius spat. "_Him_ again. Whose life is he trying to ruin now?"

**"Hello there, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"**

"Oh, why doesn't he just get lost already?" Sirius hissed. "Look at what a suck-up he is! He was all keen on being friendly with Harry back here! Now all he cares about is making him seem like he's a lair in front of the rest of the world!"

Remus clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Sirius. I know that Fudge will have to pay for this. Until then, we just have to be patient until that day comes. You said so yourself, remember? The Ministry will be begging for our forgiveness before this is over?"

"And I sure as hell won't forgive them," Sirius croaked out to Remus's ears alone. "Unless they're able to turn the clock back and have given me a fair trial before I was shipped off to Azkaban."

Remus's grip tightened. "If I could… I would…" he whispered. "I wish there was something I could've done."

Sirius snuck a glanced at him and whispered just as Minerva turned the page and read on. "It's not your fault. It's the Ministry's and Wormtail's guts I hate." He reached up and removed Remus's hand from his shoulder… but not before gripping it tightly in comfort for that brief second. No one noticed this of course—except for Mad-Eye's eye…

Moody watched them both at their exchange and didn't look away until Remus's hand dropped and they went back to listening to the rest of the story.

**"Yes," said Harry. Hermione and Ron, not being on speaking terms with the Minister of Magic, hovered awkwardly in the background.**

**"Lovely day," said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. "Pity… pity…"**

"It had been lovely!" Sirius grumbled. "It really is a pity that you had to show your face."

**He sighed deeply and looked down at Harry.**

**"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad Hippogriff. **

They all went red in the face with rage and even Buckbuck let out a few clicks of anger at that.

As several of them began to abuse the Minister's name—Sirius leading them—Kingsley frowned as he thought that line over. Fudge has fudged the facts just a bit. Even if the Ministry is concerned that Buckbeak might be dangerous, no one is truly convinced that he's _'mad.'_ It is also interesting that Fudge happens to be conveniently available for the execution, and not at all concerned about justice. Obviously, Hagrid was right that Malfoy has control of this department—but just how much control does he have over the Ministry?

**As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."**

"But the appeal can't have happened yet!" Molly and Tonks both said in outrage.

"You think that matters to them?" Sirius demanded. "They don't care about fairness! To them, Buckbeak's just another disposable creature. They figure its best just to get rid of it and have it done with!"

Buckbeak snapped at him and actually tried to bit his hand. Sirius, seeing it coming, moved his hand away just in time. He then lowered it and patted Buckbeak's feathers. "Sorry," he said. "I wasn't talking about you… I was talking about how corrupted government is."

Buckbeak glared at him out of his beautiful eyes… before he relaxed and allowed Sirius to continue stroking his head. Smiling slightly at that, Sirius didn't say anything else—letting Minerva know that she could keep going.

**"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping forward.**

**"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron.**

"That's it, Ron. Get your facts straight!" encouraged Tonks.

"Isn't it obvious now?!" stormed Sirius. Despite his rage, he spoke softly as to not upset Buckbeak. "He just came right out and admitted that they've already decided the case! The so-called _'Minister of Magic'_," he made air notes in the air at Fudge's undeserving title. "Has just come right out and admitted that this was a corrupted decision!"

"But I highly doubt that anyone else will believe it," Kingsley stated simply.

**"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" said Ron stoutly. "The Hippogriff might get off!"**

Tonks was fuming at those words, and Remus remarked grimly, "They're not going to like that."

"Of course not," said Sirius. "They don't like anyone questioning them."

Arthur sighed helplessly, though at the same time, he was proud of his son for standing up to the Minster like that. If only Ron could have a chance to remain as innocent and naive as he was then. Unfortunately, this wasn't how the world worked.

**Before Fudge could answer, two wizards came through the castle doors behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin back moustache. **

"Macnair," Sirius growled and Mad-Eye looked even grumpier than usual.

**Harry gathered that they were representatives of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, because the very old wizard squinted toward Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this… Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"**

**The black-moustached man was fingering something in his belt; Harry looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe. **

"Oh, I can't believe this!" Tonks hissed. She quickly covered the sides of Buckbeak's head with her hands—as if trying to block out the words from his ears… "Imagine how Hagrid will react when he sees that! He'll never be able to focus on defending Buckbeak!"

"I think that's the point," Severus said coolly.

"They're all the same! Every one of them!" stormed Sirius again. Can no one stand up authority anymore? No wonder Fudge things he can get away with anything.

"Awful!" agreed Remus, the ugly look on his face this time.

**Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs and jerked her head toward the entrance hall.**

**"Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"**

"I couldn't agree more," Kingsley said, looking across from him at Sirius. "I understand now why you never tried turning yourself in and making them listen to you. Everything's all crime and punishment with the Ministry. I think that it has been better for you to be on the run."

"I'm glad that someone gets it," muttered Sirius. "But more importantly… Damn straight, Ron! Go back there and stand up to them!"

"Too bad that an't enough," Mad-Eye informed them.

**"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she too looked very upset. **

"I'll be fine," Arthur stated calmly. "They won't do anything to me… at least they wouldn't have done anything to me back then. It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to get me fired because of something one of my sons did."

"Arthur," Molly said sadly and he smiled grimly at her.

"It's nothing, Molly," he reassured her as he took her hand. They were used to hardships… and they always came through somehow. "We'll be just fine."

Molly's hand tightened on his. She knew that her husband could take care of himself, but she couldn't help but worry that something would happen that they wouldn't see coming… something that could end up tearing their family even farther apart. She leaned her head on his shoulder, trying to tell him all of her worries and fears without words. Somehow he understood and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer; wordlessly giving her comfort.

**"As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak…"**

"Even if Buckbeak himself stands up and says, 'I'm innocent,' Fudge will still tell them to swing the damn ax! Malfoy would've given Fudge several pocketfuls of gold to make sure of that!" said Sirius angrily.

**But Harry could tell Hermione didn't really believe what she was saying. All around them, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch, happily anticipating the end of the exams that afternoon, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione, lost in worry about Hagrid and Buckbeak, didn't join in.**

Albus frowned, his heart feeling as if it was being squeezed tightly. He shut his eyes for a moment—grieving without a sound at the knowledge that Harry would never get to act like a normal teenager. All this time, he wished he could've done something to have eased the boy's pain… but…

"Awww," whimpered Tonks's voice, interrupting Albus's thoughts. "Come on! They shouldn't have to deal with things like this. I mean, it's nice that they're thinking of their friend, but they should've have to be looking after adults! It should be the other way around.

Sirius was looking like he was in a great deal of pain, and the others were all frowning guilty—knowing that it was true. It was particularly unfair that it had to be a teenage boy who was cursed to bear the weight of world on his shoulders, when all that he wanted was to live a normal live.

**Harry's and Ron's last exam was Divination; Hermione's, Muggle Studies. **

"This should be a laugh," muttered Sirius sarcastically and he noticed with amusement that Minerva was gritting her teeth in annoyance.

**They walked up the marble staircase together; Hermione left them on the first floor and Harry and Ron proceeded all the way up to the seventh, where many of their class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying.**

"How can you study for that class?" Tonks wondered out loud. "All you need is to predict the deaths of others and she'll give you a passing grade."

Minerva snorted, rolling her eyes in annoyance, not noticing the warm smile that Albus was giving her. He was chuckling to himself, knowing that his Transfiguration teacher wouldn't be able to hold back what she really thought of Sybill for much longer. It was only a matter of _when_ she would come out and say it.

**"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed them as they went to sit down next to him. He had his copy of **_**Unfogging the Future **_**open on his lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have either of you ever seen **_**anything**_** in a crystal ball?" he asked them unhappily.**

"Nope, they haven't, but then again, neither has the teacher, so I wouldn't worry about it, Neville!" said Sirius brightly.

"This is pathetic," Mad-Eye grunted. He could feel his sanity dropping another peg just listening about Divination. "Get to the good stuff already."

**"Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. **

"Actually, he made one prediction!" laughed Sirius, remembering the last chapter. "He predicted fog, remember? I say he should pass just for that!"

They all rolled their eyes at the pitiful attempt at a joke, and Severus was looking like he was about to be sick. His leg kept twitching… he didn't know how much longer he would be able to sit there like this. He rather be chewing glass then deal with this.

**He kept checking his watch; Harry knew that he was counting down the time until Buckbeak's appeal started.**

**The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed back down the silver ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "What did she ask? Was it okay?"**

**But they all refused to say.**

"I can't imagine why?" Minerva said stiffly and Albus smiled again at her expression—she was biting her lower lip, and seemed to be on the verge of crying out what was really going though her mind.

**"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the ladder toward Harry and Ron, who had now reached the landing.**

"Now, _really_!" Minerva exclaimed in frustration.

"What a surprise there," said Sirius sarcastically.

"Why does she insist on scaring the students?" Molly couldn't help but say.

"I just can't believe that he's stupid enough to believe it?" grunted Mad-Eye, getting annoyed with what he considered trivial.

"Be nice, Mad-Eye," Tonks reminded him.

**"That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think Hermione was right about her" – he jabbed his thumb toward the trapdoor overhead – "she's a right old fraud."**

"He only just realized that?" Sirius asked, sounding slightly amused. "I knew that first lesson."

Albus shook his head, knowing that she did process the gift of fore-sight… but she had no control over it.

**"Yeah," said Harry, looking at his own watch. It was now two o'clock. "Wish she'd hurry up…"**

**Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride.**

**"She says I've got all the makings of a true Seer," she informed Harry and Ron. "I saw**_** loads **_**of stuff… Well, good luck!"**

"Something has to be wrong with her," said Sirius, shaking his head. "Really… if she had all the makings of a true Seer, then she would've known that Trelawney is a fraud."

Tonks snorted at that and the corner of Minerva's mouth twitched.

**She hurried off down the spiral staircase toward Lavender.**

**"Ronald Weasley," said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads. **

"I thought they were going in alphabetical order," Molly asked puzzled.

Kingsley shrugged "Maybe she decided to call all the names randomly… or is just purposely leaving Harry till last just because she likes predicting his death."

"OF COURSE!" Sirius shouted out and Buckbeak jerk his head up and squawked at him. Sirius calmed down slightly to reach other and pet his head. "Sorry," he said softly.

**Ron grimaced at Harry and climbed the silver ladder out of sight. Harry was now the only person left to be tested. He settled himself on the floor with his back against the wall, listening to a fly buzzing in the sunny window, his mind across the grounds with Hagrid.**

**Finally, after about twenty minutes, Ron's large feet reappeared on the ladder.**

**"How'd it go?" Harry asked him, standing up.**

**"Rubbish," said Ron. "Couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don't think she was convinced, though…"**

"Ron… you have to make them convincingly depressing," Sirius said shaking his head.

Arthur and Molly were both upset… but not at Ron… just that he was forced to waste his time like that.

**"Meet you in the common room," Harry muttered as Professor Trelawney's voice called, "Harry Potter!"**

"Of course he's last," Sirius said with sarcasm. Really, why does everything seem to happen to his godson? He was close to sending an anonymous Howler to Trelawney for this.

**The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made Harry cough as he stumbled through the clutter of chairs and table to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball.**

**"Good day, my dear," she said softly. "If you would kindly gaze into the Orb… Take your time, now… then tell me what you see within it…"**

"That should be an easy exam," Sirius said waving his hand away. "All you need is to be a good liar… and a depressing one."

**Harry bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as he could, willing it to show him something other than swirling white fog, but nothing happened.**

"What a surprise," Severus drawled, prompting smirks and chuckles from the others. Except for Sirius, who refused to give him the satisfaction that he just said something even remotely humorous.

"**Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted delicately. "What do you see?"**

**The heat was overpowering and his nostrils were stinging with the perfumed smoke wafting from the fire beside them. He thought of what Ron had just said, and decided to pretend.**

"Harry's such a bad liar though," said Sirius shaking his head and remembering all his other weak excuses he had given throughout the books. Mad-Eye rolled his eyes. Divination really was a waste of perfectly good time that could be spent on something more productive.

"Oh, wonderful," Minerva said sarcastically. "I can see that an entire year's worth of lessons wasn't wasted, then."

**"Er –" said Harry, "a dark shape… um…"**

**"What does it resemble?" whispered Professor Trelawney. "Think, now…"**

**Harry cast his mind around and it landed on Buckbeak.**

**"A Hippogriff," he said firmly.**

"Good, Harry, she'll believe that one, especially if you're convincing!" said Tonks cheerfully.

**"Indeed!" whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. "My boy, you may well be seeing the outcome of poor Hagrid's trouble with the Ministry of Magic! Look closer… Does the Hippogriff appear to… have its head?"**

Minerva had taken in a sharp breath, and said furiously. "I can't believe she said that! I know that she loves predicting misery, but this…"

"What kind of a question is that?!" exploded Molly in fury. "How can she ask that? She must know that Harry's close friends with Hagrid and has been trying to help him with winning the case!"

Sirius was fuming again; hating hearing about his friend was so close to dying that year—another thing that the two escapees had in common. He just had another reason to send that Howler…

**"Yes," said Harry firmly.**

"He's challenge her!" said Sirius happily. "Good one, Harry! You show her!"

**"Are you sure?" Professor Trelawney urged him. "Are you quite sure, dear? **

"Didn't he just say yes?" said Tonks irritated as she wrapped her arms around Buckbeak's neck again. "Funny, I could've sworn that he said '_Yes'_."

**You don't see it writhing on the ground, perhaps, and a shadowy figure raising an axe behind it?"**

**"No!" said Harry, starting to feel slightly sick.**

Several of them were also beginning to feel slightly sick about talking about this. Buckbeak just ignored them all as he stretched out his stiff wings and flicked his tail around in boredom.

"I don't blame him!" Sirius exclaimed, though looking angry, was slowly starting to take on a faintly green tinge itself.

Remus sighed heavily. "Let it be," he said bracingly. "This is over with. And Buckbeak's fine." He nodded to the hippogriff gazing at them all lightly with his bright eyes.

"Luckily for her," Sirius grumbled.

**"No blood? No weeping Hagrid?"**

"What on earth is wrong with her?" Tonks cried, finally having enough.

"I thought that they were straight questions," Mad-Eye shrugged lightly.

"You would," Kingsley smiled lightly as Sirius and Tonks both glared at Mad-Eye who didn't seem bothered at all.

**"No!" said Harry again, wanting more than ever to leave the room and the heat. "It looks fine, it's – flying away…"**

"With a new friend on his back making a magnificent escape," Sirius muttered under his breath. Albus's eyes twinkled and Sirius had to fight back his smirk at the memory. Looks like Harry was the only true Seer in that class.

**Professor Trelawney sighed.**

**"Well, dear, I think we'll leave it there… A little disappointing… but I'm sure you did your best."**

**Relieved, Harry got up, picked up his bag and turned to go, but then a loud, harsh voice spoke behind him.**

"What now?" Molly couldn't help but ask.

_**"IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."**_

"What is she going on about this time?" Sirius yawned widely. "What will happen tonight?"

**Harry wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging.**

"What?" Tonks asked bewildered. "What does _that_ mean? What's going on with her?"

"She's telling us the prophecy," Albus nodded and leaning in slightly to hear it.

"What?" they all said startled as they stared at him. Minerva looked at him in disbelief before continuing.

**"S – sorry?" said Harry.**

**But Professor Trelawney didn't seem to hear him. Her eyes started to roll. Harry sat there in a panic. She looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure. He hesitated, thinking of running to the hospital wing – and then Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own:**

"Oh, my God," said Minerva, wide-eyed. "Is this… did this really…?"

"It certainly seems like it," said Remus slowly, just as shocked.

_**"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT… THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT… BEFORE MIDNIGHT… THE SERVANT… WILL SET OUT… TO REJOIN… HIS MASTER…"**_

Stunned silence fell on everyone except for Albus—the only change for him was his eyes darkening and his eyebrows pulled together in thought.

"'His servant has been chained these twelve years'," Sirius repeated blankly, going very white. "This is the day that Wormtail escapes… this is the night that it finally happens…"

"When what happens?!" Molly gasped in horror.

Sirius just shook his head, unable to say anything as he gestured for Minerva to keep reading, which she did.

**Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Harry sat there, staring at her. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney's head snapped up again.**

"I'm surprised that no one else heard about this," Minerva said to herself. "I would've thought that she would've been telling everyone about her latest prediction of the end of the world."

"There is a good reason for that," Albus informed her. "I'm sure that it will explain right here…"

**"I'm so sorry, dear boy," she said dreamily, "the heat of the day, you know… I drifted off for a moment…"**

**Harry sat there, staring at her.**

**"Is there anything wrong, my dear?"**

"You mean she really doesn't remember it?" Kingsley asked, looking uncharacteristically shaken.

"No," Albus informed them all. "She doesn't remember. It's a common trait for most Seers. They make the prophecy to someone who will be involved with it some way before they go into a kind of trance, and don't come out of it until the message has been said. After that, they awaken from it with no memory of what happened."

Silence fell onto them all for a second before Tonks said, "Wicked."

**"You – you just told me that the – the Dark Lord's going to rise again… that his servant's going to go back to him."**

**Professor Trelawney looked thoroughly startled.**

**"The Dark Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? My dear boy, that's hardly something to joke about… Rise again, indeed –"**

"What, you think he'd make that up… him of all people?" said Sirius, thoroughly annoyed now. "The Boy-Who-Lived and all that junk?"

"Why would anyone joke about something like this?" Molly asked, also raising an eyebrow.

**"But you just said it! You said the Dark Lord –"**

**"I think you must have dozed off too, dear!" said Professor Trelawney. "I would certainly not presume to predict anything quite as far-fetched as **_**that**_**!"**

"Right, so you only predict small things that could mean anything?" Arthur mused.

"No, indeed," said Minerva harshly. Forced to except that Trelawney truly WAS a Seer, but that didn't meant that she had to like it. "She finally makes a real prediction, but she doesn't remember it!"

Albus mentally shook his head, thinking of the first prophecy that concerned Harry and Voldemort. His hand actually started trembling as he thought about it. He folded his hands together to try and hide it. What had he done? For years he had been trying to protect the boy, and he wondered how he hadn't seen before how their secrecy had just made that harder. He did not want to tell Harry about the prophecy but if it had to be done… could he do it?

**Harry climbed back down the ladder and the spiral staircase, wondering… had he just heard Professor Trelawney make a real prediction? Or had that been her idea of an impressive end to the test?**

"That is a good point," Minerva stated. "That wouldn't surprise me if she did."

"I promise you that that wasn't the case, Minerva," Albus told her graciously and she just turned back to the page sourly.

**Five minutes later he was dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney's words still resounding in his head. People were striding past him in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time he had reached the portrait hole and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Ron and Hermione.**

"There must be something wrong," Tonks said, looking better now that the Divination exam was done. "You think that they would be the first ones out onto the grounds to see Hagrid about the appeal…"

"Something tells me that won't be necessary," Kingsley said quietly.

**"Professor Trelawney," Harry panted, "just told me –"**

"They aren't going to take what she said seriously…" Mad-Eye pointed out. "Granger especially." Remembering the girl's dislike for the teacher.

**But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.**

"_Oh, no_…" The room as a whole breathed out its horror, and Minerva felt her heart going out to them. They all glanced at Buckbeak who was curled up in front of the fire and seemed to be enjoying the warmth it was giving off. It was strange reading about how a creature was sentenced to death two years ago, but was now sitting in front of them like this.

Tonks summed it up perfectly, "This is so surreal."

"You can say that again," Remus agreed.

**"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this."**

**Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.**

"Oh, the poor guy," Sirius croaked out. He could only imagine how terrible that would've been for Hagrid. He had tried so hard only to feel that it had all been for nothing… he could understand that feeling perfectly.

_**Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it.**_

_**Hagrid**_

**"We've got to go," said Harry at once.**

"I can't say that I'm surprised that he would say that," grimaced Minerva, shaking her head at the how easily her students disregarded their own safety. They had all tried so hard to protect those kids, and yet it wasn't enough.

"Of course he would," Sirius said at the same time, glad that Harry's first thought would be to go down to Hagrid's hut to try and comfort him—but no matter what, he couldn't seem to stop the pang of worry for his godson filling his heart. This parenting thing seemed to come easier for him with each chapter they read… but unfortunately, the concern and fear that something might happen to Harry just seemed to increase tenfold every time. Not for the first time, he wished his godson was here with him.

Molly looked at Sirius incredulously. "Do you really want your godson to see a hippogriff brutally beheaded?" she looked at Buckbeak—who hadn't heard her—and whispered, "Even though we know that's now what happened… but still…"

Sirius blinked—temporary forgetting about that. "No," he answered back forcefully, "Course I don't want him to be anywhere near that if it did happen! But Hagrid needs his friends there with him right now, and that's more important."

"Hear, hear!" Tonks agreed, though rather soberly as she buried her face in Buckbeak's side. Buckbeak clicked at her touch, but it was in more content way as he lowered his head onto his front legs and shut his eyes. Ready to try dozing off again.

**"He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"**

**"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed… 'specially you, Harry…"**

"They've got the Cloak," said Sirius at once, forgetting that it was left in the passageway.

"No, they don't," reminded Remus. "It's behind the statue guarding the passageway, remember? I know we just got through talking about this."

"Looks like the mutts memory isn't as sharp as he claims it to be," Severus said silkily.

"Oh, you're lucky that we can't duel here," Sirius growled at him. What he wouldn't give to turn him into a slug or a bat… he mastered his impulse to fulfill his deep desire… but just barely. He then turned his glared to Dumbledore. Why did the old man insist on dragging the Death Eater scum here? Everything was much more pleasant with him gone.

Also, why was Dumbledore here? Sirius was sure that it would be better if the old man wasn't here with that stupid smile on his face. His hatred for Dumbledore was increasing greater than it had been since the last time they read about the Dursleys. The Dursleys? Oh, that's right…

Sirius sank back into the couch broodingly. The only reason he allowed the old man here was for him to see just how much suffering the old coot but his godson through. Maybe by the time they finished the dumb books then he would agree to let Harry move in with him. Not that it matters, Harry was moving in with him no matter what Dumbledore said… but it would make things a lot less trouble if he agreed without a problem.

**Harry sank his head into his hands, thinking.**

**"If we only had the Invisibility Cloak…"**

**"Where is it?" said Hermione.**

"Don't tell me…" Minerva said softly.

"What?" Arthur asked surprised. Instead of answering, she read out:

**Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.**

**"… if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he finished.**

**"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees **_**you**_**… How do you open the witch's hump again?"**

Minerva shook her head, "She's not going to do what I think she is, is she?"

"Oh, I think she's going to do _exactly_ what you think she's gonna do!" said Sirius grinning back at her. "Thatta girl!"

"She _isn't_!" Molly said in shock.

"She is," confirmed Tonks grinning.

**"You – you tap it and say, **_**'Dissendium,' **_**"said Harry. "But –"**

**Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight.**

**"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her.**

**She had. **

"I knew it!" Tonks called out happily, and actually punching the air in enthusiasm. If anyone had been watching Buckbeak, you could almost swear you saw the creature roll his eyes at the humans getting worked up over every little thing.

**Hermione returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery cloak folded carefully under her robes.**

**"Hermione, I don't know what's gotten, into you lately!" said Ron, astounded. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney –"**

**Hermione looked rather flattered.**

"So she should. I'm so proud of her here," Sirius stated, holding a hand over his heart. "Harry has such great friends don't you all think?"

Remus chuckled slightly and shook his head. "I don't think it's just because of her potential of rule-breaking that they're friends, Padfoot."

"Well, yeah," Sirius agreed. "But it sure is a bonus."

**They went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to Gryffindor Tower afterward. Harry had the cloak hidden down the front of his robes; he had to keep his arms folded to hide the lump. They skulked in an empty chamber off the entrance hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard a last pair of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door.**

Mad-Eye frown at that… if there was one thing he learned from these books, it was that nothing was mentioned for no reason. Who goes there? Who was that running across the hall?

**"Okay," she whispered, "no one there – cloak on –"**

**Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, they crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath the cloak, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.**

"It must be getting late," Molly said anxiously, "If they're caught they're going to be in huge trouble. They're not supposed to be out after dark!"

"Just one peaceful chapter is all I ask for," Sirius pleaded, feeling depressed again. Inside, he was proud of Harry caring so much about his friends and willing to take such risks for them, but he was also frightened of what he was going to undoubtedly hear soon. He knew what was going to happen and that it was going to be mentioned in the next few chapters if not in this one… he knew that he wasn't going to like hearing it from Harry's point of view.

The rest of this damn book wasn't going to be an easy thing for him to listen to. Harry meant everything to him—that teenage boy was now his whole world… and to hear how much he once hated him was painful. Like a physical wound every single time that Harry's thoughts of how much he formerly despised him was said out loud.

**They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.**

"Poor Hagrid," Remus sighed sadly, understanding just how afraid the half-giant must've been. He, himself, felt that very same fear every full moon. Waiting for something terrible to come for him… unable to stop it _from_ coming… and just waiting for what felt like an eternity… hoping that it would end soon… or that, somehow, some miracle would appear and save him just in time. But, unfortunately, it never happened for him. And he knew that it never would.

He wrapped his arms around his chest, as if trying to protect himself someway from the memories of pain and madness entering his mind. He felt his nails digging into his arms, not that he noticed—only focused on his memories.

Tonks looked up from stroking Buckbeaks's head to see the look on Remus's face. The look was similar to one who was suffering from something truly painful. His worn-looking face was expressionless, but his eyes… he's eyes shone with a deep sadness that she had never seen before. She felt her heart ache for him—at seeing how much he was hurting. She had been trying to give him a little more space after what happened in the kitchen that morning… but she couldn't bear to see him like this any longer. She carefully got up from her seat on the floor and walked over to sit next to him. "You ok?" she asked him quietly.

He jumped as she suddenly appeared next to him and said, "Er… yeah… yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing. I was just…" He suddenly noticed that everyone was now looking at them and he quickly put his arms down. "Yeah… I was… just feeling so bad for Hagrid. I wish I could've done more for him."

"If you say so," Tonks whispered as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She knew that she had been doing it a lot lately, but it seemed to comfort him. And besides, she couldn't think of a place she rather be.

Remus froze instantly, his cheeks glowing as everyone (but Severus and Mad-Eye) smiled at the cute scene. But after looking at her peaceful face, Remus couldn't help but relax as he leaned in to her touch as well. He didn't have the slightest clue what to do… his brain was telling him one thing, his heart quite another. He barely heard the next part of the story being read out.

**"It's us," Harry hissed. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."**

**"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, and they stepped inside. **

**Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the cloak.**

**Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon their necks.** **He looked like a man who did not know where he was or what to do. This helplessness was worse to watch than tears.**

The twinkle in Albus's eyes had long since gone out. He knew that look all too well; having seen it several times before. The most recent was when he spoke to Harry after he came back from the graveyard just a year ago. Albus's chest tightened painfully at the memory, and he felt as though he had just eaten particularly revolting flavor of Every Flavor Beans.

The scared look on Harry's face when he first woke up and told him that Voldemort had returned was a difficult thing to watch. And then later in his office, Harry's voice had taken a tone that only old men should have, those who had suffered too much, seen too much. He wanted to say something, do anything, to remove that haunted, pained look from the boy's eyes.

But he didn't know how.

He sighed as he hid his own eyes behind a hand. He knew that Harry must've been feeling a great deal of resentment towards him right now. Not that he blamed him… Albus too, hated this. He had not enjoyed in the least, distancing himself from Harry. But he also knew Voldemort's cowardly tricks. If he knew how close the two of them were, then he would undoubtedly try to use that to his advantage. And Albus couldn't stand back and let that happen.

Not wanting to dwell on those thoughts, he opened his eyes and tried to pay attention.

**"Wan' some tea?" he said. His great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.**

**"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.**

**"I – I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' – an' smell fresh air – before –"**

Arthur opened his mouth as though to say something, but then closed it speechlessly, unable to say anything. Sirius was biting his lip. He knew how the little things seem to mean the most. Once he escaped Azkaban, all the littlest things out there seemed to make life worth living. The trees… fresh open air… things he never thought that he would see again… he was drunk on his own freedom.

It really does take losing everything to see just how much you have worth living for.

**Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.**

"I can't believe the ministry would allow themselves to be bought out like this," Kingsley said bitterly. "To allow corruption to win over justice… It's disgusting… and sad."

"It's always been like that, if you ask me," Sirius snarled.

"Enough of your tragic life, Black," Severus groaned. Not looking forward to hearing more of his complaining.

"You're one to talk!" Sirius growled back. Looking ready to rip Snape's throat out, Remus put his hand on Sirius's upper arm to prevent him from getting up. Tonks opened her eyes at them before closing them almost instantly, not moving an inch from where she was.

**"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.**

**"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Harry glanced at Ron, who looked back hopelessly.**

**"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore –"**

Albus blinked that before his eyes saddened. It meant more to him than he could ever admit at how much Harry had believed in him… at least back then anyway. He sighed. He had tried to get Buckbeak cleared, but the Committee couldn't be swayed. He didn't have the kind of power over that department. Not that it was important anymore. Buckbeak was freed in the end.

"Yes," agreed Tonks, glancing at Albus from her position next to Remus—even raising her head slightly to look him in the eye, "Why didn't you do something? I'm sure you could've fixed this whole thing!"

Albus responded grimly, "I tried. But I've only have so much power at the Ministry. I did do as much as I could… but I'm afraid that I don't have the power to change the minds of all men."

**"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared… Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like… threatened 'em, I expect… an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's… but it'll be quick an' clean… an' I'll be beside him…"**

**Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.**

They all saddened at that; knowing the feeling of trying to find some hope when things seemed to be at their worse. They all understood the pain of not being able to find a way to escape from the problems and loss of the world. Maybe in different ways—but they knew the longing to find a ray of light in the darkness.

**"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it – while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter – ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore…"**

Sirius snorted lightly. He once that that well…

**Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back tears.**

**"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she began, **

"Good girl," muttered Remus, "I'm sure that Hagrid appreciates the thought. But I don't think that's the best idea… he'd never allow them to see it."

**but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.**

"Thank you, Hagrid!" Molly whispered in relief. "Even if Buckbeak had been saved, I'd hate just the thought of them having to see something like that."

**"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway… If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble."**

"They are too young to have to deal with this," added Arthur.

"I wouldn't want them to see a hippogriff beheaded, but I disagree with that _'too young'_ part," said Kingsley sadly.

"When have they ever been allowed to be_ 'too young'_?" Sirius agreed. He was torn between relief that Hagrid was not allowing them to stay, and regret that Harry would not be able to stand beside his friend when he needed it most. Albus on the other hand looked uncomfortable at what Kingsley said. Harry _was_ young, and he couldn't bring himself to tell him about the Prophecy yet because that would take away any remaining traces of innocence that he might be allowed to have… or was he just fooling himself? Being blinded by his own conscience? He wasn't sure anymore.

**Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea. Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.**

**"Ron, I don't believe it – it's **_**Scabbers**_**!"**

"What?" chorused most of the room.

"But he's dead!" protested Arthur in horror as his old theory came back to haunt him. No, it has to be a different rat… it had to be… there's no way that Scabbers could actually be… Arthur's breath caught in his chest everything fell into place. If Scabbers was still alive, then he had to have faked his death, meaning that he wasn't an ordinary rat…

It all made a horrible kind of sense and he felt sick at the thought.

"I guess it's not only cats who have nine lives," Tonks mumbled, not knowing what to think anymore.

**Ron gaped at her.**

**"What are you talking about?"**

**Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.**

**"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"**

Remus's eyes had narrowed as Sirius barred his teeth.

**He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself.**

"Well, it looks like the rat avoided being cat food after all," Mad-Eye said calmly. "That means Granger was right again—maybe Weasley should've looked under the beds."

"But something's wrong," Molly muttered softly. "You think that a pet for so many years would be happy to see his owner again… Scabbers has never acted this way before—he doesn't even seem to ease up with Ron."

"Or at the least he is not the same sleepy, lump of a rat that we know," Arthur said just as quietly. "What's wrong with him?

Sirius answered, his voice frigid and hard, "No, Ron was right all along—it's stress." He swallowed hard. "Only Crookshanks isn't the source."

"What do you mean?" Arthur and Molly both asked at the same time, but there was dread in both of their voices as they both reached the same guess.

**"It's okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"**

**Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the colour of parchment.**

**"They're comin'…"**

Tension washed through the room in the slight pause as Minerva took a breath, and then she continued reading, just a little bit faster. She wanted to get it over with…

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione whipped around. A group of men was walking down the distant castle steps. In front was Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun. **

Albus shook his head—it was always a strange thing reading about what had happened through a different point of view—most definitely a different experience.

**Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner, Macnair.**

Sirius cracked his knuckles—Buckbeck tossed his head around—suddenly not liking the tense air in the room.

**"Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here… Go now…"**

**Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak. "I'll let yeh out the back way," said Hagrid.**

**They followed him to the door into his back garden. Harry felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head from side to side and pawed the ground nervously.**

At that, Buckbeak looked up worriedly at the mention of his name. Sirius went back to stroking his feathery neck and whispered words of comfort into his ear until he calmed down.

**"It's okay, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's okay…" He turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."**

**But they didn't move.**

"Why am I not surprised?" Mad-Eye stated. They need to learn that sometimes there's nothing they can do… at least, not like this.

**"Hagrid, we can't –"**

**"We'll tell them what really happened –"**

**"They can't kill him –"**

"Loyal to the end," muttered Molly, her voice almost a sob. "But there's nothing they could've done!"

"Not at the time," Albus said softly, but no one paid much attention to what he said… or maybe it had to do with that fact that Buckbeak let out a particularly loud squawk at that moment and drowned out Albus's voice.

**"Go!" said Hagrid fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"**

**They had no choice. As Hermione threw the cloak over Harry and Ron, they heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.**

**"Go quick," he said hoarsely. "Don' listen…"**

**And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.** **Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off silently around Hagrid's house. As they reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.**

**"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it…"**

Tonks took several deep breaths, her heart going out to those four people in the book… four people that she knew very well… which only made it even worse.

**They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged gray, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.**

**Ron stopped dead.**

"What now?" croaked out Molly. "Get out of there! Get back to the castle!"

**"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione began.**

**"It's Scabbers – he won't – stay put –"**

Sirius's fingers twitched at that—a longing to have squeezed the life out of that rat when he had the chance. He shook his head hard, forcing himself to pay attention to the damn book.

**Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing, trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand.**

**"Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hissed.**

"He never bit Ron before," Molly whispered, and the horrible thoughts played themselves over in her mind. "I don't like this."

'_If you don't like it now,'_ Sirius thought. Not liking where this was going to go._ 'Then you really aren't going to like what happens after this part.'_

**They heard a door open behind them and men's voices.**

"How does Buckbeak get out of this?" Tonks asked softly, her eyes looking at the Hippogriff for a moment. "I thought that they saved him that night."

"They did," Sirius explained slowly. "But… I don't see how… how they could've pulled it off."

Kingsley smiled to himself and Mad-Eye's eye seemed to be dancing in its socket… a sign that he was amused. They both knew how they did it… only question is _when_ they did it.

**"Oh, Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathed.**

**"Okay – Scabbers, stay**_** put **_**–"**

**They walked forward; Harry, like Hermione, was trying not to listen to the rumble of voices behind them. Ron stopped again.**

**"I can't hold him – Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us –"**

Sirius growled under his breath again. Glad that he was at least able to scare him like this.

**The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.**

Silence fell over them all as they all looked at Buckbeak… realizing just how close he came to 'losing his head' that night. Minerva—not understanding what just happened—finished the last two lines of the chapter.

**Hermione swayed on the spot.**

**"They did it!" she whispered to Harry. "I d – don't believe it – they did it!"**

"How did they pull this off?" Tonks couldn't help but ask when she saw Minerva close the book and set it down on the coffee table in front of her; signaling that the chapter was over. "I mean… they saved Buckbeak right?" she then looked to the hippogriff as if she expected to see another one sitting there.

"Yes," Albus told her. "This is that very same hippogriff that was sentenced to death."

"But…" Molly asked softly. "They just said that they heard the _'thud of an axe'_?"

"Don't jump to conclusions before the end," Albus answered simply, raising a single hand. "If these books have shown us one thing… it's not to expect anything until the last page is over. I promise you all that we should have all our answers today. If we finish reading of course."

"Well, let's go!" Tonks said as she reached over and took the book from Minerva. "I want to get some answers already. This is the most infuriating book I've ever read." She rested her head back onto Remus's shoulder again—who just noticed how cold he had become in those few seconds that she had moved away from him.

Tonks on the other hand had turned the page and read out, slightly confused at the title… "**Chapter 17: Cat, Rat, and Dog**."


	25. Cat, Rat, and Dog

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 22: Cat, Rat, and Dog**

Tonks on the other hand had turned the page and read out, slightly confused at the title… "**Chapter 17: Cat, Rat, and Dog**."

Sirius managed to hold back a grimace, but just barely. He knew that he wasn't going to like this chapter. He glanced a worried look over at the two Weasleys across from him. He had a feeling that they weren't going to like what they find out about what happened to their youngest son. He put his hand into his pocket and fingered his wand lightly… he might have to defend himself soon.

"Weird title," said Mad-Eye absent-mindedly.

"Looks like you'll finally make your appearance, Padfoot," Remus smiled darkly. So this was it… this was when they were finally going to be getting some answers. He looked at all the others—hoping that they were in the understanding mood.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed grimly as he ran his hand over his eye, remembering how his godson had hit him—the hurt and hatred that were in those green orbs—that had nearly killed him to see that. It had been hard enough watching it… he wasn't looking forward to what had been going through his godson's mind at the time. "But it sure wasn't the most heartwarming reunion though let me tell you."

"Was it really that bad?" Tonks asked, glancing up from the book.

"I'm sure that you'll all find out," he said sadly. He was just wondering if it would've been better if he just left the room during this chapter when Kingsley mused thoughtfully, "But what does Crookshanks have to do with this?"

"Crookshanks?" repeated Arthur in confusion.

"Yes, Crookshanks," Kingsley answered. "It's obvious Scabbers is the rat and Sirius the dog… so how many other cats could it possibly be?"

"You got that right," Sirius grumbled. He glanced over at Snape—and knowing that he would never hear the end of it if he got up and left—he gritted his teeth and forced himself to listen to Tonks's voice carry on.

**Harry's mind had gone blank with shock. The three of them stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. **

They had all been bluntly reminded of Buckbeak, but Remus managed to muster a small smile. "Good thing that things aren't always what they appear," he said tightly.

"But how did they save him, though?" Tonks asked as she looked over at the same hippogriff that was still snoozing on the floor.

"I'm sure that we're all looking forward to hearing that," Arthur said calmly.

**Then, behind them, they heard a wild howling.**

**"Hagrid," Harry muttered. Without thinking about what he was doing, he made to turn back, but both Ron and Hermione seized his arms.**

"Oh, he has such a big heart," Molly whispered sadly, almost inaudibly, "But that'll do more harm than good going back to Hagrid's. They'll get him in trouble as well as themselves."

"That is true," Minerva agreed unhappily.

**"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him…"**

"True that," admitted Tonks grimly, wishing in spite of this that it were possible for the trio to go back and comfort him. She just loved Hagrid… it was hard NOT to.

**Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven.**

**"How – could – they?" she choked. "How**_** could **_**they?"**

"Oh, that's easy," Sirius answered bitterly—unable to help himself. "They think they can do whatever they want regardless of whether it is right or wrong. They prefer to take the easy way out."

"That is a statement I can't argue with," Moody grunted with another yawn. Great, he was getting bored again… this better be getting more exciting soon or he was going to walk again.

**"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.**

"They all have big hearts," Molly sighed—so proud of them all for being so loyal to each other. Unfortunately, she just couldn't see how they were going to get out of this. Just what happened that night?

**They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the cloak. The light was fading fast now.**

**By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.**

**"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still – OUCH! He bit me!"**

Sirius tensed again—a thickness grew in his throat as he forced himself to listen to Tonks's voice read, but it was becoming more painful with each word… it was almost like being forced to chew broken glass… it was only a matter of time before he screamed in agony.

**"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute –"**

**"He won't – stay – put –"**

**Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.**

**"What's the **_**matter **_**with him?"**

"What _is_ the matter with him?" repeated Molly anxiously; glancing around at them all as if she had hoped that they would tell her what was going on. But no one did—they all remained mute—but they were all guessing the same thing.

**But Harry had just seen – slinking toward them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness – Crookshanks. **

"Of all the worst times to show up," Tonks muttered softly.

**Whether he could see them or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harry couldn't tell.**

**"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"**

"No, get the bloody rat, Crookshanks!" Sirius begged under his breath. It would've made things easier for him that night.

**But the cat was getting nearer –**

**"Scabbers – NO!"**

**Too late – the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.**

"Oh, no!" gasped Molly, her hands running through her hair. "Can't they ever get a break? They're going to get caught if this keeps up."

"I know what to do!" Tonks called out sarcastically. "Go find me some cheddar cheese, some Swiss cheese, and some macaroni _and_ cheese! And hurry!"

They all looked at her like she spoke a different language. "What?" she asked rolling her eyes and turning to her to a bright orange. "If I was there, that's what I would say."

"I worry about you sometimes," Sirius informed her. She just grinned at him and read out the next three words:

_**"Ron!" **_**Hermione moaned.**

"They're gonna get caught," said Mad-Eye conversationally.

"You don't have to sound so confident," Tonks muttered hopelessly.

"Just as long as it's not Fudge who finds them, they'll be OK," said Sirius before shooting Snape a nasty look. "Or you Snape."

Severus replied with his usual sneer. "I would've been completely in the right to give them all detentions for the rest of the year. I certainly wasn't going to let them get away with the same things that others…" he looked at Albus and Minerva, "Let go."

**She and Harry looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; they pulled it off and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron; they could hear his feet thundering along ahead, and his shouts at Crookshanks.**

"And they still didn't get caught?" laughed Kingsley causing Severus to scowl regretfully.

"But they're gonna be in so much trouble when someone finds them," repeated Molly worriedly.

**"Get away from him – get away – Scabbers, come **_**here **_**–"**

**There was a loud thud.**

**"**_**Gotcha!**_** Get off, you stinking cat –"**

**Harry and Hermione almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.**

**"Ron – come on back under the cloak –" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore – the Minister – they'll be coming back out in a minute –"**

Albus raised his eyebrows at that. He remembered hearing some random shouting but until now he hadn't actually known what it was. By the time that they got near the willow, there wasn't anything there.

**But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws… Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow – an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.**

They all looked up at Sirius who flushed and turned his head away.

"If you don't mind me asking, Sirius," said Arthur slowly. "But ah… why were you there all of a sudden?" He knew that Sirius would never do anything to harm the kids… but he also had no idea what happened here, and he was worried what did.

Sirius put his head down and refused to answer. Tonks—taking pity—quickly read on… but that might not have been a good idea…

**Harry reached for his wand, but too late – the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest; he keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth –**

"Sirius!" Arthur protested in shock. "You attacked them?!" Molly was staring, open-mouthed but speechless, at the book Tonks held, clutching Arthur's hand in both of hers, her grip painfully tight.

"I'm sorry," Sirius croaked. He honestly didn't want to hurt Harry—he hadn't even seeing Peter that night. At the time, he was hiding just beyond the forest so that he could see the grounds—but no one could see him. Suddenly heard random shouting and had gone to see what was happening—when he saw Ron come tearing across the grounds after Crookshanks. He recognized him from the picture, the boy who had Wormtail. They appeared, all three of them, Ron and Crookshanks chasing that rat, with Hermione and Harry close behind. He remembered vaguely the feeling of hatred boiling behind his eyes, his urge to kill too much to contain. All that was going through his mind at the time was, _'He's there! Oh, finally I've got him!'_

When he heard Hermione shouting that that Dumbledore and the _'Minister' _were coming, he panicked. He honestly thought that they were there for him.

Tonks met his eyes and, despite to try and cheer him up, she asked, "Your teeth aren't really inch-long, are they?"

"Close to it," he forced a grin, showing his teeth.

**But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it rolled off him. Dazed, feeling as though his ribs were broken, Harry tried to stand up; he could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack. **

Sirius was whiter than ever, his black hair that framed his face contrasting starkly with his pallor. "I…" he stammered weakly, "I didn't know what I was doing… I was desperate…"

"Please don't tell me you hurt one of them," Kingsley stated.

"It was an accident," Remus stepped in quickly.

"I thought that you were the last person to hurt Harry," Tonks said in surprise.

"I didn't mean to hurt him!" Sirius repeated in desperation. "I heard Hermione say something about Dumbledore and Fudge coming and I panicked! It hurt me to do that, believe me. The Willow was my only escape. I thought that they somehow found out about my Animagus form and they were coming after me. I was growling at them—but not in an attacking way—I was trying to frighten them to run away!"

"Just let me keep reading, Tonks," Minerva said curtly, cutting across Sirius' attempts to explain his behavior. "Hopefully by the end of this chapter, everything will make sense."

**Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Harry aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged forward, he seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll –**

Silence filled the room as both Weasley's glared at Sirius with anger and shock… with a tiny bit of pride as well. They were angry at Sirius for attacking Ron, stunned that he had gone after him in the first place, but they were also proud of Ron for willing to put himself in danger—willing to protect his friends.

"My baby boy!" cried Molly trying desperately to pull a somewhat logical conclusion from amidst all of the confusion. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! What on earth? Why Ron?" "

"I'm sorry," Sirius said meekly.

**Then, out of nowhere, something hit Harry so hard across the face he was knocked off his feet again. He heard Hermione shriek with pain and fall too.**

"What on earth was that?" Kingsley cried out in alarm. Mad-Eye blinked and—thought it was hard to tell with him—but there seemed to be a hint of surprise in his eyes.

**Harry groped for his wand, blinking blood out of his eyes. **

_**"Lumos!"**_** he whispered.**

**The wandlight showed him the trunk of a thick tree; they had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop them going nearer.**

Arthur had turned cold. Hadn't it just been said that Harry, Ron and Hermione had followed Scabbers to the Whomping Willow… What if Scabbers knew about the passage-way as well…? Which meant… oh, God…

**And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backwards into a large gap in the roots – Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight –**

"What've you got against Ron?" asked Arthur, looking at Sirius unsympathetically.

"I told you that I was desperate!" he replied.

"But why?" Molly demanded. Just what the _hell_ was going on? "Why do you keep coming after my son? First, in the dormitories with a knife, and now this…?" But she had a pretty good idea to why this was, however she was too horror-struck at the very thought to say it. "I swear if you hurt my son I'll…"

Tonks went on before she could finish her threat.

**"Ron!" Harry shouted, trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and he was forced backwards again.**

**All they could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him farther underground – but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken, and a moment later, his foot vanished from sight.**

Silence filled the rest of the room… mostly coming from the Weasleys… they seemed too horrified to say anything. Sirius better enjoy this while he can… he knew that it wasn't going to last long…

"Sirius, you've just broke the kid's leg," said Mad-Eye lightly.

That was all it took to launch an explosion of fury from the Weasleys.

"_RON_!" screamed Molly in panic.

Sirius flinched. He had dragged Ron into the willow, hoping that the other two would run off and get help. Sirius would kill Wormtail and leave Ron when he was sure that someone came for him. But Ron had hooked his leg around that root, trying desperately to pull himself free. He had been pulling him—just trying to get him to let go. He forgot how strong he was as Pafoot…

"Sorry," he said, his face in his hands. "But I wasn't intending to hurt him! I was pulling him… trying to let him let go… I didn't think I'd be strong enough to—to do that!"

Arthur seemed to have forgotten to speak, he just kept opening and closing his mouth… but no words came out.

If possible, Sirius felt even guiltier at that. Remus noticed and looked him straight in the eyes and told him. "It is not your fault Sirius; you were trying to get the person that is the _real_ cause for all this. You have nothing to be guilty about."

"I…" Sirius muttered.

"What are you talking about?!" Molly yelled. "You broke my baby's leg!" she then rounded on the teachers and snarled, "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"We were going to," Albus said sadly. "But you see we weren't given much of a choice. The Ministry forbid us to inform you."

"What?" Arthur finally croaked out hoarsely. "What do you mean by…?"

"I am sorry," Albus told him. "I was going to write to you both about this. But you see, Fudge thought that there was no point to make you worry needlessly. Or rather… he didn't want word to get out on how a couple kids did more than the rest of the Ministry involving Sirius Black."

"Why doesn't this surprise me?" Mad-Eye asked as they all stared at him.

"It's true," Minerva nodded grimly. "He didn't come out and admit it, but it was clear when we asked why."

"What a cowardly, pompous…" Arthur couldn't even think of something terrible enough to call Fudge.

"I swear I'm gonna…" Molly threatened. Tonks nodded fiercely as she read in a load voice—wanting to know what happens next. Molly and Arthur both looking disappointed they couldn't continue fuming but also quieted down as well.

**"Harry – we've got to go for help –" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.**

**"No! That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got time –"**

Sirius had to smile at that. A sour smile—but a smile nonetheless. "No matter how hungry I was, I would never eat a kid."

"You have no problems with attacking them though," Arthur reminded him bitterly.

"I said I was sorry!" he gasped for the hundredth time. "But I was half mad at the time."

"Only half?" Severus asked idly and Sirius barred his teeth at him in warning.

"Ok, gentlemen," Kingsley said in his calm, deep voice. "That's enough."

**"Harry – we're never going to get through without help –"**

**Another branch whipped down at them, twigs clenched like knuckles.** **"If that dog can get in, we can," **

Remus shook his head in reminisce. "And there is James's stubbornness coming through at the worst possible times," he whispered, a hint of humor audible beneath his worry.

Sirius didn't look at him, but nodded agreement. "Oh, poor guy… and poor me," he added at the memories of what happened.

**Harry panted, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but he couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree roots without being in range of the tree's blows.**

**"Oh, help, help," Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, "Please…"**

**Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.**

"Crookshanks helped them?" Minerva asked, raising an eyebrow. "How did he know how to do that?"

"Well, he has been mentioned with Padfoot a lot…" Kingsley said slowly. "And we've already talked about how Crookshanks is smarter than normal cats."

"Sounds like you've been teaching him a thing or two, then, Sirius," said Remus casually and Sirius shrugged.

"He's one smart cat," he said simply.

**Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.**

"Do you get the idea that animals are in control here?" Mad-Eye asked evenly. "They seem to know what is going on a whole lot better than the kids, or we for that matter, do. Did Crookshanks actually understand what Granger was saying?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Sirius said. "And yeah… I have to agree that the animals know more or less than what's going on."

"Including you?" Severus asked silkily. "Still as modest as ever aren't you, Black?"

"Oh, shut up," Sirius barked back. "At least I knew what was going on!"

"And look at how well that's worked out for you?" Severus reminded him, his lip curling. The fingers in Sirius's fists clenched so tightly that you could hear them crack. He was breathing so hard through his nose that you could almost think he was panting like a dog. Right now, Sirius had never wanted to kill anyone more than Snape. Yes, that includes Dumbledore and Wormtail… even Voldemort… but only just a little bit.

**"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. She now grasped Harry's arm painfully hard. "How did he know –?"**

**"He's friends with that dog," said Harry grimly. **

"Never thought I would see you make friends with a cat," Remus muttered and nudged Sirius playfully. "Weren't you the one who tried to get cats banned from the school?"

"Well, that was before I knew that our Transfiguration teachers was part feline," he answered with a sly grin and Minerva, who raised her eyebrows—not looking amused.

**"I've seen them together. Come on – and keep your wand out –"**

"And so they're still going down there knowing that there's a crazed dog that they think could eat them alive," Mad-Eye said shaking his head—not the least bit surprised at what was about to happen.

"How could they be so reckless, so foolish?" Minerva demanded in dread. "After everything everyone has done to keep them safe, they continue to risk their lives with stunts like this!"

"Like his father," Sirius said exasperated, but he was smiling just a little. "At least I know they'll be safe this time. Well, at least a whole lot safer than with Voldemort or a Basilisk." Sirius knew that he had been there that night… knowing that Harry would make it out in one piece; that didn't stop him from getting hurt. After all he was his godfather and he had the right to worry if he wanted to.

"You can't imagine a group of better friends," Arthur stated. "I'm so glad that they've got each other to depend on."

**They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. Harry went next; **

Moody rolled his eyes. It was a wonder these kids hadn't all been killed already by just jumping in headfirst. There were dangers lurking everywhere!

Albus watched his old friend rile himself up, and shook his head fondly. It was very much like Alastor to always criticize and become angry whenever a precautionary action is ignored. And though it may seem like a bother most of the time, it has saved many innocent lives throughout his career. What many people didn't realize was that Alastor Moody was fiercely protective of everyone he cares for and would rather go through all many safety measures than let anyone get hurt.

**he crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel.**

**Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from Harry's wand. Seconds later, Hermione slithered down beside him.**

**"Where's Ron?" she whispered in a terrified voice.**

**"This way," said Harry, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.**

**"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind him.**

"The Shrieking Shack," answered Remus grimly.

"Wish I could see it," Tonks whispered thoughtfully.

"What?" Remus said surprise. "Why would you want to see someplace as horrid as that?"

"I always wanted to see the inside of it," Tonks told him unblushingly. "And now that I finally know who was the one who created one of my favorite legends—it makes me want to see it even more."

While she might not be the one blushing, Remus on the other hand had turned a crimson red—it was made even worse when she leaned her head back on his shoulder for a split second before going back to the book.

**"I don't know… It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it… It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade…"**

**They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double; ahead of them, Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes… All Harry could think of was Ron and what the enormous dog might be doing to him… He was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch…**

**And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Ahead Harry could see a patch of dim light through a small opening.**

**He and Hermione paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. Both raised their wands to see what lay beyond. **

Tonks also paused to take several deep breaths, having read the last few paragraphs as quickly as she could. There was total silence from the others and for once, no one could think anything to say. Scared of the unnatural quiet, Tonks read fast.

**It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.**

Remus tensed involuntarily, going very pale at the description. Tonks and Sirius both looked at him with comforting smiles; Tonks taking his hand—which to her surprise and delight—he gripped tightly.

**Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked very frightened but nodded.**

**Harry pulled himself out of the hole, staring around. The room was deserted, but a door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed Harry's arm again. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows.**

**"Harry," she whispered, "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack."**

"Yeah," said Arthur slowly. "But it's not really haunted… well, not since Remus left.

"Yes, but they didn't know that at the time did they?" answered Remus with a shrug. "They must've been terrified."

"Don't tell me that," groaned Molly, biting her lower lip in worry.

**Harry looked around. His eyes fell on a wooden chair near them. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely.**

**"Ghosts didn't do that," he said slowly.**

"No," Remus said quietly. "It was a grumpy werewolf who lost his temper."

"Oh, yeah! I remember you doing that, Remus…!" said Sirius fondly. "You always were so ill-tempered for some reason."

Remus snorted, unable to hide a smile for that brief instant.

**At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Both of them looked up at the ceiling. Hermione's grip on Harry's arm was so tight he was losing feeling in his fingers. He raised his eyebrows at her; she nodded again and let go.**

**Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.** **They reached the dark landing.**

_**"Nox,"**_** they whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod.**

"Wish I was that close with someone," Tonks said. Knowing your friends so well that you didn't need words to commutate… she wished she was that close to her friends. She tightened her hand on Remus's scarred one. Especially Remus…

**Wand held tightly before him, Harry kicked the door wide open.**

**On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron.**

Sirius winched at the mention of Ron's leg and the Weasleys glared at him again, just daring him to say anything. Knowing that it was his only chance, he put his head down and refused to look at anyone.

**Harry and Hermione dashed across to him.**

**"Ron – are you okay?"**

**"Where's the dog?"**

**"Not a dog," Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Harry, it's a trap –"**

Everyone in the room took collective breaths—though they know that everything worked out—it was terrifying just listening to this.

**"What –"**

_**"He's the dog… he's an Animagus."**_

"So you finally appear?" Tonks asked. Sirius froze, his heart feeling as though it stopped beating. He stared at the book—his breathing becoming harsh. This is it…

**Ron was staring over Harry's shoulder. Harry wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them.**

**A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.**

"It seems your looks have improved since school," Remus tried to joke—but judging from Sirius's face, he guessed that Sirius wasn't in the mood.

"I say that Potter's descriptions are spot on," Severus said evenly.

"Shut up," Sirius snarled as he ran his hand over his sunken face. He was once again slipping back into his depression. It was bad enough feeling worthless for not being able to protect his godson in any way—but this… this was making him sound like a monster. And they hadn't even gotten to the really bad stuff yet.

"So, it wasn't a Grim—it was a big black Animagus dog," Mad-Eye said thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin. "Too bad Potter didn't pay more attention in your class on their first day, Minerva—maybe he would have realized what he was seeing."

"Well, maybe you would've seen it," Kingsley observed before looking back at Sirius. "Ironic though. _'Sirius'_ is the name of a star in the constellation Canus Major. It also happens to be the brightest star in the sky… and was even given the nickname: the dog star."

"I always thought you had your head in the clouds," Remus teased and the corners of Sirius's mouth twitched at that. He had to admit that he had come to love his name… his first name anyway. He despised his last name with a passion… but he liked to think that the name 'Sirius' meant that he was different from the rest of his family… that and the fact that his name was so easy to joke about.

_**"Expelliarmus!"**_** he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them.**

"What?" shrieked Molly. "Sirius… I thought… I thought… that you…" she trailed off, unable to complete the thought, but she didn't need to. Sirius wasn't even listening; with his thin shoulders hunched forward, head in his hands, he had his eyes screwed shut tightly in a desperate attempt to hide his own feelings of guilt and hatred.

**Harry's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Black caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Harry.**

**"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely.**

"Did you think really think that he was going to run?" Tonks demanded. It sounded as though Sirius was baiting Harry… this wasn't going to end well.

"I was hoping," Sirius offered half-heartedly.

**His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "Your father would have done the same for me. **

"That he would," said Remus seriously, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Sirius, whose face was still buried in his hands, "He would've done the same for any of us."

Sirius neither moved nor looked to meet his friend's eyes. Severus glanced between the two remaining Marauders present in the room. Immature brats they might have been, and bullies, James Potter being the worst of them all, he hated to admit it—but they valued their friendship.

But he still hated them all.

**Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful… it will make everything much easier…"**

Remus groaned under his breath. That was not the smartest thing for Sirius to say, it made him sound like he _was_ guilty. But then again, he admitted grudgingly, if there was one thing that Sirius had been known for, it was his lack of tact.

"Sirius, you shouldn't have said that," Albus said sadly. "That isn't the right way to get them to listen."

"I didn't mean to make it sound like that!" Sirius was completely bewildered at his own actions. "I was just so desperate that I wasn't thinking straight."

"You never think your actions through though," Remus reminded him.

"Ok, that's enough from you Professor Moony," Sirius grunted.

**The taunt about his father rang in Harry's ears as though Black had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Harry's chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack… to kill.**

Sirius's shoulders were shuddering. Harry hated him. His best friend's son… hated him—wanted him _dead_. He was the kid's godfather… and he wanted to kill him.

"Oh, Harry," whispered Molly, her hand still linked fiercely with Arthur's, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as she listened to Tonks read. Remus looked over at Sirius to see him shaking. And he knew that his friend's self-control was being pushed to its limit, and that he was dangerously close to a complete breakdown.

"Harry, really shouldn't be thinking this," said Kingsley, and for the first time he sounded angry. "That's only going to make things worse."

"Don't worry, seeing how I'm still alive and kicking, he hadn't done anything," Sirius told him, trying to keep his voice as level as possible—but you could hear the verge of a sob beginning to take hold. The only person who didn't look upset or angry was Severus—who was smiling carelessly… finally enjoying the book and seeing Black so broken up…

**Without knowing what he was doing, he started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of him and two pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back…"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Black.**

**"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.**

"Oh, Ron," moaned Molly tearfully.

**Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.**

"What does that mean?" Arthur asked him. "What were you thinking of?"

"It just sounded like something I would've said," Sirius said, a smile playing on his mouth as he thought of that. Remus nodded, remembering how Sirius had said those very words the day that Dumbledore had warned them that Voldemort was after baby Harry. It was one of the reasons why James had wanted to name Sirius the Secret Keeper… and the reason why Remus had believed that it had to have been Sirius who sold them out… who else would James had trusted like that?

**"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."**

**"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"**

**"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened.**

"That's got to be the worst thing you could've said," muttered Kingsley shaking his head.

Sirius finally glanced up, and his bloodshot eyes met Remus's for an instant before he hid his face again.

"What were you doing, Sirius?" Minerva whispered in dismay.

"You sure aren't acting innocent. You really are acting like you're after him," Tonks said back.

"I didn't get a chance to explain," Sirius half-defended himself, but he knew how pathetic it sounded.

**"Why's that?" Harry spat, trying to wrench himself free of Ron, and Hermione. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew… **

Sirius flinched horribly, his heart feeling like it was about to break at every word.

Mad-Eye grimaced. "It's not really surprising that Potter went to that conclusion, now is it?" he commented, glancing around the circle at the others.

**What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"**

**"Harry!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"**

**"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, and with a huge effort he broke free of Hermione's and Ron's restraint and lunged forward –**

**He had forgotten about magic – he had forgotten that he was short and skinny and thirteen, whereas Black was a tall, full-grown man – all Harry knew was that he wanted to hurt Black as badly as he could and that he didn't care how much he got hurt in return –**

Albus closed his eyes in pain—he had felt that kind of rage before—and knew how terrible a feeling it was. It wasn't anything he wanted anyone to feel… especially a child…

Especially Harry…

**Perhaps it was the shock of Harry doing something so stupid, but Black didn't raise the wands in time – **

"No, I couldn't hurt him," Sirius said softly, thinking of all the times he had played hide-&-seek with that little baby boy. The same child that he used to take out for a ride on his flying motorbike whenever Lily wasn't around, and how he'd triple checked that Harry would be safe before he took off. No, he couldn't raise the wand… "I wouldn't want to curse him even if I could."

**one of Harry's hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of Harry's other hand collided with the side of Black's head and they fell, backward, into the wall –**

"He punched you?" Tonks asked in surprise. "But he's so… seems so…"

Sirius smiled grimly as he ran his hand over his eye. "He may not look it, but he's got quite an arm."

Severus held back a snort. That was a personal fantasy of his ever since he first met Black. Just the thought that Blacks own beloved godson did it gave him a vindictive pleasure.

**Hermione was screaming; Ron was yelling; there was a blinding flash as the wands in Black's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Harry's face by inches;**

"You tried to curse him?" Kingsley asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I didn't want to! Just to get him to back off!" Sirius defended himself. "I wasn't aiming for him!"

**Harry felt the shrunken arm under his fingers twisting madly, but he clung on, his other hand punching every part of Black it could find.**

**But Black's free hand had found Harry's throat.**

"Why the hell are you choking him?" Arthur and Tonks yelled this time.

"I… I…" Sirius stammered. "What would you have done?!" he demanded. "I was just trying to get him off me."

"You didn't have to choke the kid," Mad-Eye yawned.

**"No," he hissed, "I've waited too long –"**

**The fingers tightened, Harry choked, his glasses askew.**

Everyone stared at Sirius in horror, mouths hanging open in disbelief that Sirius had done that. Minerva had let out a soft gasp of air, and even Mad-Eye was looking at him with his eyebrows raised—both eyes on him.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Sirius demanded. "I'm sorry! But what would any of you have done. I didn't want to hurt him, but he wasn't giving me much of a choice! I've been planning revenge for so long…" he couldn't finish, couldn't explain just what was happening to him.

Tonks, knowing that her only choice was to keep going, did just that.

**Then he saw Hermione's foot swing out of nowhere. Black let go of Harry with a grunt of pain; Ron had thrown himself on Black's wand hand and Harry heard a faint clatter –**

"I forgot that all three of them started attacking me," Sirius said; it had hurt, but he was also relieved that caused him to remember where he was and let Harry go. "Hermione's got quite a kick."

**He fought free of the tangle of bodies and saw his own wand rolling across the floor; he threw himself toward it but –**

**"Argh!"**

**Crookshanks had joined the fray; both sets of front claws had sunk themselves deep into Harry's arm; Harry threw him off, but Crookshanks now darted toward Harry's wand –**

"Crookshanks was trying to protect me…" Sirius said. "Right, I forgot about that too."

"Yes, he knew you were innocent," Remus reminded him. guilt racked his own conscience this time… a cat had been able to tell that Sirius was innocent, why couldn't he?

**"NO YOU DON'T!" roared Harry, and he aimed a kick at Crookshanks that made the cat leap aside, spitting; Harry snatched up his wand and turned –**

**"Get out of the way!" he shouted at Ron and Hermione.**

**They didn't need telling twice. Hermione, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up her and Ron's wands. Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg.**

Mad-Eye looked mildly surprised. "They're doing what Potter tells them to?"

Albus was the one who answered. He peered over his glasses at him, "Alastor, you underestimate his leadership skills. He has a very rare gift—one that just needs a little training."

**Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Harry walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at Black's heart.**

**"Going to kill me, Harry?" he whispered.**

"Even if he wanted to, he couldn't," Albus said with conviction. Harry was too good-hearted, too principled to do something as terrible as kill another. Albus smiled sadly. Harry was no Tom Riddle.

**Harry stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at Black's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding.**

"Like I said, he's got a very good punch," Sirius stated simply.

**"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady.**

**Black stared up at him out of those sunken eyes.**

**"I don't deny it," **

"What the hell are you talking about Sirius?" Tonks said facing him. "You didn't kill them."

"I know that…" Sirius said. His eyes red, suddenly making him look years older. "But…"

"You think it is your fault because you were they one to suggest changing Secret Keepers," Remus stated.

"Padfoot, it's not your fault," Kingsley said softly.

Remus looked at Sirius who was still looking miserable. "Sirius? You've read about Harry's fist two years at Hogwarts right? And I know you're probably thinking about how you should have been there for him but don't blame yourself. You were in Azkaban and you broke out in his third year and I repeat anything that happened at the Dursleys or Hogwarts ISN'T YOUR FAULT."

Sirius didn't even look at him.

"He's right, Sirius," Albus said sadly. "Before he knew the truth, he thought that you were the reason he had no parents but you're not. You gave him a piece of his parents back in a way only you could've done. You've become very important to him. He needed someone to blame and all the clues pointed to you. The point is that he doesn't blame you now. And…" with barely a glance at Severus he finished, "Neither does the rest of us."

Sirius hide back a great sniff; not sure what to think. So instead, he just waved a hand at Tonks, who took the hint.

**he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."**

**"The whole story?" Harry repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."**

**"You've got to listen to me," Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't… You don't understand…"**

"You were right," Remus said. "He would have regretted it…"

**"I understand a lot better than you think," said Harry, and his voice shook more than ever. **

"That point still stands about a lot of things," Sirius growled to Albus, who had the decently to look ashamed. Albus had been given that very thing a lot of thought over the last few weeks… still torn between with what he _should_ do, and what he _could_ do.

**"You never heard her, did you? My mum… trying to stop Voldemort killing me… and you did that… you did it…"**

The smile that had been on Severus's mouth disappeared at that. He clenched his own fist tightly… knowing who was to blame for that.

**Before either of them could say another word, something ginger streaked past Harry; Crookshanks leapt onto Black's chest and settled himself there, right over Black's heart. **

"That cat must like you," Kingsley muttered. Since when do cats act like that?

Sirius answered, "We were good friends. But I didn't think he would do something like this. Believe me, I was as surprised as you are."

"You have that effect on people," Remus nodded. "It's difficult not to like you."

Sirius snorted. "How else did you think I got so many dates? I couldn't go for just natural good looks alone."

Remus shook his head, a affectionate smile there, "There's that humility hard at work again."

**Black blinked and looked down at the cat.**

**"Get off," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him.** **But Crookshanks sank his claws into Black's robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his ugly, squashed face to Harry and looked up at him with those great yellow eyes. To his right, Hermione gave a dry sob.**

**Harry stared down at Black and Crookshanks, his grip tightening on the wand. So what if he had to kill the cat too? It was in league with Black… If it was prepared to die, trying to protect Black, that wasn't Harry's business… If Black wanted to save it, that only proved he cared more for Crookshanks than for Harry's parents…**

"Harry, now you're just being cruel," said Kingsley firmly. "Put the wand down, you can't kill someone else—regardless of what they'd done. He's a mess, on the floor. He's not going anywhere, is he?"

"He's hurting," Albus stated quietly. "He's upset and angry. And after everything's he'd been through, he wants someone to blame."

"The question is," Mad-Eye mused with a significant glance at Dumbledore. "Who's the person he _should_ blame."

Albus looked away with a sigh—knowing full well who Alastor was talking about. And he couldn't say his old friend was wrong.

**Harry raised the wand. Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge his mother and father. **

**He was going to kill Black. He had to kill Black. This was his chance…**

"Harry, don't do it," pleased Molly softly. "Please… stop thinking like that… that's not who you are…"

"Yes, Harry, think about what you're doing!" Arthur agreed. "If you did kill him, then you would be the murderer this time. And I know that your parents wouldn't have wanted that."

Sirius flinched horribly again but he said, "He didn't do anything. Thank God. And I'm not just saying that for me either!"

**The seconds lengthened. And still Harry stood frozen there, wand poised, Black staring up at him, Crookshanks on his chest. Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed; Hermione was quite silent.**

They were all silent as well. All were frozen in the same position, hoping that Harry wouldn't do anything stupid. Even Sirius, though he knew what was about to happen, it was easy to forget when you're lost in a dramatic book.

"He won't do it, if he was, he would've done it by now, if he was," said Remus confidently.

**And then came a new sound –** **Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor – someone was moving downstairs.**

**"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE – SIRIUS BLACK – QUICK!"**

**Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; Harry gripped his wand convulsively – Do it now! said a voice in his head – but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and Harry still hadn't done it.**

Albus smiled in spite of himself. Harry's heart was so much stronger than anything Tom could ever achieve.

"He couldn't do it," Minerva said relieved. Though she knew that from the start, she was proud that he was able to stop himself.

"He's not a murderer," Albus repeated. "He may have hated Sirius until he found out the truth, but he could never kill someone in cold blood like that."

"Lucky for me," Sirius sighed. "For one minute there I really thought he was going to kill me."

"But who's down there?" Mad-Eye asked, looking interested.

**The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harry wheeled around as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, cowering next to the door, to Harry, standing there with his wand covering Black, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.**

"Yes! Professor Moony's there!" Tonks cheered, her grip on Remus's hand tightening and causing Buckbeak to grunt in his sleep.

"But how did you know he was there?" Molly asked him in astonishment.

"I was watching the map," Remus said. He had a feeling that the three of them would sneak out to visit Hagrid and had wanted to keep a close eye on the trio to make sure that they would make it back to the castle safely.

"You're not going to try and kill him too, are you?" Kingsley asked suddenly worried.

"No," Remus answered. Sirius smiled, that had truly been terrifying. He had been scared out of his mind when Remus had come charging into the room—he had thought that he was going to kill him for revenge as well…

_**"Expelliarmus!"**_** Lupin shouted.**

**Harry's wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two Hermione was holding. Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at Black, who still had Crookshanks lying protectively across his chest.**

"Thanks Moony!" said Sirius gratefully. "I didn't know what I was going to do there for a while!"

"Harry wouldn't have killed you," Remus reminded him.

"No, I know that he would've done it by then if he was a killer… but he's a good person… not like…" Sirius trailed off. _'Not like me,'_ was what he was going to finish saying, but he didn't want another lecture from Professor Moony, or anyone else.

"Does Potter really know enough magic to kill Sirius if he had decided to? Maybe at point-blank range to his heart…?"

"You're not helping Mad-Eye!" Tonks snapped at him.

**Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. Black was going to be handed back to the Dementors.**

**Then Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice.**

**"Where is he, Sirius?"**

"You know the truth now?" Tonks asked startled. "I thought that you didn't know until Sirius told you."

"How did you find out?" Mad-Eye asked suspiciously.

"I'll explain it in a minute," Remus answered, straining to remember what happened that night in the shack. "My book self I mean will explain."

Molly, however, was also frowning, "Where is _who_, Sirius?"

Sirius repeated gloomily, "Wait and see. Please don't make me tell you."

The tension in the room increased once again, dramatically. This was where that theory of who Scabbers really was, was going to be discovered.

**Harry looked quickly at Lupin. He didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was Lupin talking about? He turned to look at Black again.**

**Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. **

Arthur's eyes widened. Sirius didn't know Ron at all, apart from the fact that he's Harry's best friend. Why would he want Ron? If not for that rat? Arthur suddenly felt the need to lie down for awhile; he was feeling lightheaded.

**Mystified, Harry glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered.**

**"But then…" Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, **

"That's what it felt like to me," Sirius mused thoughtfully.

"Legilimency," Remus explained basically.

"You know it?" Minerva asked him.

"I'm not bad," Remus confessed. "Not as good as you are though, Severus." He nodded towards the Slytherin, who was uncharacteristically quite through most of the book. Severus rolled his eyes and looked away. If there was one thing he hated about the werewolf was how _polite_ he was.

**"… why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless" – Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, "– unless **_**he**_** was the one… unless you switched… without telling me?"**

**Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.**

"This is not right—it is too odd. It's another twist ending… and it's not even the ending! Look at how suspicious you look here Lupin," Mad-Eye pointed out.

"I forgot where I was for a second," Remus admitted. "Once I figured out the truth, I didn't know what to do."

**"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on –?"**

**But he never finished the question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.**

"You really believed I didn't do it," Sirius whispered, and the happiness was evident in his voice. Remus smiled at him, clapping him on the shoulder as Sirius spoke again, "You have no idea how much that meant to me."

"Yeah, and things are bound to go a lot smoother with Remus there," Molly said also relaxing.

"Yes, but somehow, I don't think Harry is going to see this touching bond of brotherhood as a good thing just yet," Kingsley pointed out. "It probably wasn't smart to hug Sirius like that when Harry still thinks he's trying to kill him."

"In hindsight, I know now that it wasn't the best thing I could've done," Remus nodded. "But in my defense I just got one of my friends back after twelve long years."

"Don't worry, Remus, you'll find a way to make them understand," Arthur said with certainty.

**Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.**

**"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.**

Tonks had screamed at that part as well, causing the ones with more sensitive hearing to clamp their hands over their ears, and woke up a disgruntled Buckbeak.

"Sorry," Tonks whispered to Buckbeak and then to Remus. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"It's fine," Remus muttered, his ears still ringing. "I'm getting used to it."

Tonks didn't continue until Buckbeak had calmed down and was drifting back off to sleep. As Tonks turned the page, she had just noticed that her hand was no longer holding onto Remus's… she suddenly felt cold. Grimacing, she bravely went on.

**Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wild-eyed. "You – you –"**

"She's losing it, the poor girl," Minerva whispered worriedly. "On top of all the stress that this year had given her, she had this to top it all off."

"Well, I would say that she picked an appropriate time to freak out," Tonks muttered. "If I was here, I would be so lost by now."

"She loses her head too often," Mad-Eye grunted. "She needs to learn to keep a cool head."

**"Hermione –"**

**"– you and him!"**

**"Hermione, calm down –"**

**"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you –"**

"I think she knows you're a werewolf, Remus," said Tonks unnecessary.

"Yes, I think she worked out my dark secret a while ago," agreed Remus grimly.

**"Hermione, listen to me, please" Lupin shouted. "I can explain –"**

**Harry could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury.**

**"I trusted you," he shouted at Lupin, his voice wavering, out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"**

Remus winced.

"Well, at least Potter's taking this well," Mad-Eye stated with heavy sarcasm.

**"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now – Let me explain…"**

**"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too – **_**he's a werewolf!**_**"**

"That doesn't make him evil or untrustworthy, Hermione," began Tonks angrily. "You've known him for the whole year and he has to be I'd trust with my life! Yes, even on a full moon!"

Remus smiled at her, those words meant a lot, but he knew that she wouldn't be saying that if she _had_ met him on a full moon.

**There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.**

"There's déjà vu," Sirius said chuckling at Remus; that was how he reacted when they found out. Some things never change.

**"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead." An odd shiver passed over his face. **

"Of course I don't," said Remus softly. How could anyone want that?

**"But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."**

'_Funny all the clues pointed to that,'_ Kingsley thought to himself, his Auror mind going hard at work. _'He's a werewolf—wasn't that easy? The first and primary clue was his own name. Lupin. The word 'lupine' means wolfish, it comes from the Latin word, lupus—meaning wolf. Appropriate… The next big clue was that he kept getting ill once a month. A more indistinguishable clue was that his boggart turned into a silvery-white globe because he fears the full moon. And even a fairly obscure clue was when Peeves sand 'Loony Lupin' (the word looney is slang from the Latin word for Luna for moon.) and then there's that essay on werewolves that Severus assigned.'_ He smiled to himself as he looked at Severus's pale features and black eyes._ 'So what about Remus's reference in Severus's office to an essay about vampires?'_

**Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, **_**"Get away from me, werewolf!"**_

Remus bowed his head, shame filling his heart once again. He drew back into himself, about to leave the room in fact until Sirius nudged him with his elbow.

"Hey," Sirius muttered, "You know you're not a monster right?"

"You're an idiot if you think so," said Tonks seriously, taking his hand again. Remus tried to pull away from her, but she held tight. "You're not a monster! You hear me? You just get more irritable on a full moon. Who doesn't act different when the moon is full?"

Amusement shone in Remus's eyes. "I suppose," he said with a chortle.

"Good," she said firmly as she turned back to the book, still refusing to let go of Remus's hand.

**Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"**

**"Ages," Hermione whispered. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay…"**

Tonks shot Severus an aggravated glance who smirked proudly.

**"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. **

"I am," said Severus with a slight sneer. Tonks and Sirius both wanted to throw the book at him.

**"He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant… Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"**

**"Both," Hermione said quietly.**

**Lupin forced a laugh.**

**"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."**

"That's an understatement," Remus stated idly. "She really is the brightest witch of her age."

**"I'm not," Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"**

**"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."**

**"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf," Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"**

"No!" snapped Sirius at once. But then blinked at what he said. All this time he had been finding reasons to hate Dumbledore… and he just defended him? Oh, great. He glared at Albus, who was smiling serenely at him.

"Your words mean a great deal to me," he said graciously and Sirius grumbled to himself.

Tonks on the other hand made to reply angrily to that last comment, but Remus talked over her.

"Sorry," Molly whispered. "It's just…" but before she could explain, Remus held up his hand.

"It's alright," he assured both her and Arthur. "I'm sure he just panicked at the time. I'm just glad that he didn't hold it against me for long. And well… let's just say that someone like me is used to it."

"That doesn't make it right," Tonks muttered furiously.

**"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy –"**

"You are trustworthy," everyone but Severus and Remus said. Remus smiled at them all gratefully.

**"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!"**

"Ah, there's Lily's temper coming out again," Remus said smiling a little wider. "I guess that we're lucky that he didn't have his wand at the time."

**He was pointing at Black, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.**

"Which I'm still cross about, Sirius!" Molly growled. How dare anyone hurt one of her children like that!

"Look, I'm sorry!" Sirius groaned. "I'll be sure to give him an apology next time I see him!"

**"I have**_** not **_**been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look –"**

**He separated Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner; Harry caught his, stunned.**

**"There," said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt. "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"**

**Harry didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?**

"No, but it was risky," Mad-Eye snarled at Remus.

"How else was I supposed to make them listen?" Remus asked him. He saw Moody open his mouth and, guessing what he was about to say, quickly added, "Without resorting to cursing them?!"

At those words, Moody shrugged and leaned back.

**"If you haven't been helping him," he said, with a furious glance at Black, "how did you know he was here?"**

**"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it –"**

**"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.**

Most let out tense laughs at the random question.

**"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony – that was my friends' nickname for me at school."**

**"You **_**wrote**_** –?"**

**"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"**

"You know them well, Remus," said Minerva. "I'm glad that there's someone who knows how they think."

"What do you expect from hanging around with this knucklehead," said Remus, pointing his thump at Sirius, looking amused. Sirius just let out his trademark bark of laughter.

**He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet.**

**"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry –"**

**"How d'you know about the cloak?"**

**"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it…" said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again.**

"See, if you just told him how close you were with his father, he would have trusted you easier," Tonks said smugly.

Remus winced, "I'm afraid that was easier said than done."

Albus nodded, understanding how difficult it must've been for Remus. It never is easy telling someone you care about something that you know would be painful.

"Maybe you should've explained more to them," Kingsley added.

"I was trying to get to the point," Remus defended himself.

**"The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."**

"Who?" Arthur asked—suddenly going pale.

**"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"**

Molly let out a loud gasp, and her hand flew up to cover her open mouth. "No, no it can't be…" she breathed miserably…

**"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"**

**"No one was with us!" said Harry.**

"Yeah, no one else was with them… unless they were being followed," said Arthur hopefully.

"No," Sirius stated.

**"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled**_** Sirius Black**_**… I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow –"**

**"One of us!" Ron said angrily.**

"No," Remus cut in, miserably, "Sirius dragged two of them."

"Don't tell me that you forgot how to count, Lupin," Severus asked darkly.

"Oh, shut up, Snape," Sirius snapped back.

**"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you."**

The others smiled unhappily at how Remus had repeated himself.

**He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.**

**"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.**

"No," Arthur whispered again, wretchedly, lifting one fist to press it firmly to his head as Molly was looking horrified and disgusted. No one said a word, but they were all thinking the same thing.

**"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"**

**"****Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"**

"This can't be happening," Arthur whispered.

**Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and made a soft hissing noise.**

**Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.**

'_Please be the wrong rat, please be the wrong rat,' _Molly chanted in her head.

**"****What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"**

**"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly.**

"I stand corrected," Sirius whispered bitterly. "He was definitely a disgusting, cowardly rat."

**"What d'you mean – of course he's a rat –"**

**"****No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."**

"Talentless, cowardly, good-for-nothing wizard that is," Sirius added to himself.

**"****An Animagus," said Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."**

It took a few minutes for the information to properly sink it as they all stared at the open book on Tonks's lap; shaking slightly in the reader's trembling hands. "Okay," she began slowly, "That sounds quite…"

"You mean to tell me that our old beloved pet rat… was the scum that betrayed Harry's parents?" Arthur asked slowly, his voice dripping with outrage and revulsion.

"That is the definition of irony kids," Mad-Eye said.

"For the last time… you aren't helping MAD-EYE!" Tonks screamed at him and Buckbeak, now getting tired of being woken up. Raised his head and squawked at them all. Sirius moved from his seat on the couch, so that he could sit next to Buckbeak on the floor. "Easy, easy…" he whispered to him as the others continued cursing the rat.

"I can't believe this!" Molly gasped. "I remember when Percy found that Scabbers—I mean that rat—out in the garden one day near his fifth birthday and asked to keep it for a pet… I wondered why he lived so long but…"

Arthur was looking green, just too sick to speak as others began abusing Wormtail's name. This continued on for a while until Albus cleared his voice and said, "For me, the themes and the people in here give us the most information out of these books. We need to look beyond the mere tip of the iceberg and contemplate what lies below."

"What?" Tonks asked confused.

"In other words," he answered, "Don't judge a book by its cover. To find out everything, you need to hear both sides of the story."

"Both sides…" Molly said quietly just as Remus held out his hand to Tonks.

"Let me read," he said to her softly.

"But…" she began but he interrupted again.

"Please, let me read," he repeated. "I want to do this chapter."

Tonks hesitated but she held it out to him. Remus sighed as he turned the page with sorrow. He knew what was about to happen here, and it was only fitting that he read here. Clearing his throat for what was sure to be an unpleasant experience, he read out in as strong a voice he could, "**Chapter 18: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs**."


	26. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 23: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs**

Tonks hesitated but she held it out to him. Remus sighed as he turned the page with sorrow. He knew what was about to happen here, and it was only fitting that he read here. Clearing his throat for what was sure to be an unpleasant experience, he read out in as strong a voice he could, "**Chapter 18: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs**."

And, of course, there was the picture of Padfoot—the grim-like dog—there right underneath the chapter title.

"YES!" Sirius cheered, making a whooping sound and clapping his hands together.

"Sounds like we're finally going to be getting some answers," Kingsley muttered with a chuckle.

"Come on, then," Tonks said, bouncing in her seat a little as she tugged Remus's arm, "We've only got a few chapters left to go!"

"'Bout time," Mad-Eye said gruffly. "I'm getting real sick'n tired of this book."

**It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Harry was thinking.**

**"You're both mental."**

"I often thought that," Mad-Eye said conversationally.

Remus and Sirius laugh at his tone.

"You're one to talk, Mad-Eye," Sirius sniggered.

**"****Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.**

**"****Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.**

**"****I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me… not this time, though!"**

"You sure aren't helping prove your innocence, Sirius," Kingsley stated, with his eyebrows raised. "You're there to kill Peter?"

"Of course I was!" Sirius snapped back. "I've had twelve years to brood over this, and I didn't want to wait any longer. He was the one who betrayed Lily and James…"

"Yes, but that doesn't make it any more right," said Kingsley frowning. Sirius was brave and loyal, he could never deny that, but he also had to learn self-control. "James wouldn't want _you_ to become a murderer anymore than he would want his son to."

"Wormtail betrayed them!" Sirius shouted, not noticing how Severus was looking slightly green at those words. "He's the reason that my best friend is dead! He's the reason that Harry grew up in that hellhole called Privet Drive!" He was getting angrier by the second and actually stood up as he practically shouted out, "He's the one responsible for everything!"

"Yes," Kingsley said calmly as he watched Sirius stand over him with a towering rage as Buckbeak was getting annoyed that they kept interrupting his nap. "But you have to listen to yourself as well. I know that this is difficult for you, and I can see why you're so desperate for revenge. But it would destroy you Sirius to kill him in cold blood. Because he won't be able to defend himself… you will kill him no differently than how Voldemort would. Do you really think that this is what James would want you to become?"

"And besides," Molly said in a thick voice. "My son, Harry, and Hermione are there as well! You want them to witness a murder?! Harry still has nightmares about his parent's deaths!"

Sirius stared at them both as he was left with his dark thoughts. They just didn't understand. They never suffered like he did. He had been imprisoned in a small cell for twelve years, forced to see and hear his worst nightmares and memories over and over again. He had been forced to relive that night countless times, and he had been determined to make Wormtail pay.

Grudgingly, he could see where Molly was coming from. He hadn't thought about killing Wormtail in front of the kids, but that wasn't something that he would've wanted them to see.

**And Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Black lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.**

"Sirius!" Molly cried angrily, and Sirius held up his hands in defense.

"Sorry," he offered. "I can't help it! I'd love to see what you would've done in my place!" he said quietly. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"No," Remus agreed. "You were grieving and angry—not insane."

Tonks nodded in agreement, and Sirius smiled tightly, looking encouraged—but still depressed looking. He knew that he had acted like a crazed murderer that night, but he _had_ been desperate.

**"****Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again, "WAIT! You can't do it just like that — they need to understand — we've got to explain —"**

"Listen to the voice of reason, Sirius!" Arthur implored, horrified that the man sitting across from him had once had this strong an impulse to kill. "I'm not happy that he'd been hiding with us for all this time, but Molly's right. I don't want you to kill in front of the kids!"

"Nothing happened," Sirius said, his feelings mixed about that. "I _was_ going to kill him—I _wanted_ to kill him… but in the end… well let's just say that someone with a stronger heart and more—_forgiving_—nature that I have won out."

"Who?" Tonks asked in surprise as she looked over expectedly at Remus, who kept reading. But Sirius was smiling to himself very slightly at the thought of the person who stopped him that night.

**"****We can explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.**

This sounded more like the Sirius Black that Remus remembered from school. Attack first, explanations later…

"But how did you know that Scabbers was the rat that you were after?" Kingsley asked curiously. He couldn't figure out how Sirius had known where Peter had been hiding when there were millions of rats everywhere _and_ he had been in Azkaban the whole time.

"I'll explain it either in this chapter or the next one," Sirius said thinking it over. "Let's just say that it pays to read the paper."

While most of the others looked at him in bewilderment, Minerva asked with a nod to the book, "Are you always like this when you want something?"

"I was angry!" Sirius repeated annoyed. "I keep telling you. I was there and Peter was in the room, and I didn't want to wait and risk the little rat running away again."

"All the same, Sirius," said Minerva anxiously, "You've got three third-year children in there with you who didn't have a clue to what was going on, so you should try to have behave yourself until they knew the truth."

Sirius rolled his eyes and muttered in a sing-song voice under his breath, "'_You should try to behave yourself…'_ makes me sound like I'm a misbehaving kid!"

**"****They've — got — a — right — to — know — everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. **

"Despite the fact that you lost most of your strength in Azkaban, it wasn't an easy feat," Remus smiled grimly.

"Well, to me, you always were wimpy," Sirius explained and Remus punched his shoulder and Sirius continued, "You see? It's a good thing you know how to use a wand because you can't throw a punch to save your life."

"That's only because he's too sweet not to," Tonks said fondly as she took his arm again. Looking startled, Remus once again tried fruitlessly to push her off but she whispered to him, "Don't bother. I made up my mind and I have no intention of leaving without you."

Grinning broadly at the couple, Sirius leaned back and watched them both as Remus stuttered out the next sentence.

**"Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand, and Harry — you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"**

"That was playing dirty," Sirius grumbled half-heartedly.

"I knew that it was the only thing that would've stopped you," Remus smiled sadly. "I knew that you cared about Harry despite the face you hardly knew him."

Sirius nodded with a grimace. How could you care about someone so much even if you hadn't seen them for over a decade? The last time he had seen Harry was a baby boy who had been pulled out of the ruins of his destroyed home… and he didn't see him again until he was a moody teenage boy.

He had tried his hardest to keep an eye on him over the last few years, never passing up an opportunity to see him. But he didn't even know what Harry's voice sounded like until that night when he heard him shouting out Ron's name as he pulled him into the willow. "Harry really did deserve to know the truth… more than anyone…"

He didn't notice it, but they were all, minus Snape, giving him sympathetic looks before they turned back to the book.

**Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.**

**"****All right, then," Black said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for…"**

"Not exactly endearing yourself to them, are you, Black?" Severus remarked caustically, and Sirius shook his head slightly, rolling his eyes at Severus.

"I'm sure that I was doing a better job than you ever did," he retorted and was pleased to see Snape's eyes narrow in anger.

**"****You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."**

"Good luck with that," Mad-Eye said, growling down at his own fake leg and having a good idea to how Weasley must've felt not being able to have two good legs.

"He won't be able to walk," Molly whimpered, hating the idea that her baby boy was in pain.

**He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.**

**"****You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."**

**"****HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, **

"He is Peter…" Sirius snarled bitterly. But boy, it sure took awhile for them all to believe them.

**trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him am pushed him back down to the bed. Then, ignoring Black, Harry turned to Lupin.**

"Why turn to you?" Sirius asked with a hint of mocking in his tone.

"Remus seems more reliable," Tonks offered helpfully. "That and the fact that he didn't look as crazy as you are."

Sirius rolled his eyes and turned away grumpily. "What is it today? Pick-on-Sirius-day?"

"It is now," Tonks added brightly, glad to see the smile forming on her cousin's face again. Hopefully, they finish this book again real soon. Buckbeak in the meantime opened a bright eye for a moment before he closed it again. _'Humans…' _he seemed to think to himself.

**"****There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he said. "A whole street full of them…"**

**"****They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.**

**"****Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "I believed it myself — **

Both Sirius and Remus winced, avoiding one another's eyes at that line. "Sirius…?" Remus began, but Sirius cut him off.

"Don't apologize, Remus," he said hoarsely. "Just… just keep reading ok?"

Sirius hated reading about this. Why oh why was he having his past mistakes tossed back into his face every chance they got? Remus looked equally guilty as his friend did, but he bravely went on…

**until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's map never lies… Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."**

"So…" Tonks said again as if she just wanted to make sure she heard right. "The map's never wrong?"

"That's right," Sirius said smugly, feeling a little better.

"Ok," Tonks said, also grinning now. "So when it said that Snape needed to wash his hair…?"

She didn't need to go on as the whole room, besides our dear Potion's Master of course—who was looking like he was ready to kill—erupted into shouts of laughter. With Sirius the loudest of all at the look on Snape's face. These books were constantly keeping him on his toes…

**Harry looked down at Ron, and as their eyes met, they agreed, silently: Black and Lupin were both out of their minds. Their story made no sense whatsoever. How could Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew? Azkaban must have unhinged Black after all — but why was Lupin playing along with him?**

"Because he's right," Tonks couldn't help but interrupt. "But, you know…" she added slowly as she glanced up at Sirius and Remus. "I don't understand either."

Remus blinked in surprise and answered, "Sirius wasn't after Harry all this time, but after Peter. This was why he had been so desperate to get into Hogwarts… why he went to Ron's bed instead of Harry's… and, more importantly, why he hasn't killed the three of them there and then."

"No, that I understand," she said quickly. "What I don't get is how did Wormtail get there in the first place? Why, out of all the families he could've been taken in by, he chooses the Weasleys, who turn out to be so close to the son of the people he betrayed. And how did you figure out where he was Sirius?"

"We talk about that," Sirius muttered as the two Weasleys were looking sickened at the very thought.

"I don't suppose there's a chance that you were wrong and that is just a normal rat?" Molly almost whimpered. When he gave her a stern look she sighed, "Too much to hope for."

**Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly.**

**"****But Professor Lupin… Scabbers can't be Pettigrew… it just can't be true, you know it can't…"**

**"****Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows.**

Most of them smirked at Remus, all easily able to imagine the tone of voice described, and Remus reddened.

"You are something else," Tonks said happily as she leaned her head onto his shoulder—which only caused him to redden even further. "You're the only person I know who could turn a meeting with a supposed murderer into a lesson. Not sure if that's a good thing."

"Technically," Remus said jerkily, "No one was in any danger."

"Except for Peter," Sirius grumbled.

**"****Because… because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework — the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things… and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."**

Albus smiled slightly as he shook his head—he had been amazed when Sirius had told him what they were able to do during their school years—and what he was most impressed with was that the three boys had managed to keep it a secret from him for so long.

**Harry had barely had time to marvel inwardly at the effort Hermione put into her homework, when Lupin started to laugh.**

"Well, you can't say she doesn't do her homework," Sirius stated incredulous.

"You could've taken a page out of her book," Minerva muttered, remembering how he turned in only half of his homework most of the time.

**"****Right again, Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that here used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."**

They all looked at Sirius, who was once again smiling smugly. "And boy, am I glad I did!"

"You realized that you were breaking wizard law before you ever left school," Kingsley informed him coolly.

"Even then he was a criminal," Severus said and Sirius glared at him.

"I did it to help, Remus," he said darkly. "Too bad none of your Death Eater friends would do something like that for you."

"Ok, Sirius," Albus said, knowing that they were trending on dangerous grounds with Severus. He glanced over at his Potion's Master to see the sickly green look. "That's enough."

**"****If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," said Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."**

"You never did have any patience," Remus said lightly and Sirius smiled.

"Don't hate me," he told him. "Just love me for who I am."

**"****All right… but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin, "I only know how it began…"**

**Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All five of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.**

"And you claim Harry has a problem of listening in," Sirius said to Severus, who glared back.

Everyone but Remus looked confused at that.

"What are you talking…?" Arthur began but Remus had just read out:

**"****No one there…"**

"That we can see," whispering Sirius under his breath with another disgust look at Snape, who just raised his eyebrows and looked away with a bored expression as if he couldn't care less about what was said.

**"****This place is haunted!" said Ron.**

**"****It's not," said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. **

"When is a door not a door?" Tonks asked them all excitedly. "When it's _a-jar_!"

They all groaned at that pathetic joke and over the noise, Remus was able to whisper to Severus, "I thought that you would've been more subtle about listening in. You were famous for listening in on private conversations at school and no one ever knew it!"'

"It's not that you ever figured out that I was there," he hissed back.

"What are you both talking about?" Molly asked curiously.

"Nothing," Remus answered her as he flipped the page idly.

**"The Shrieking Shack was never haunted… The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."**

**He pushed his graying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment then said, "That's where all of this starts — with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten… and if I hadn't been so foolhardy…"**

"Hey, Remus, none of that was your fault, you know that right?" said Sirius growled forcefully. "It's not your fault you were bitten! You were just a kid! We've been over this before upstairs when we talked about…" he trailed off when Remus shot him a warning look with his eyes darting to Tonks for a brief moment before he said, "I _was_ foolhardy, Sirius! Don't tell me I wasn't!"

Tonks frowned rebelliously, "You still shouldn't blame yourself."

"If there was anyone to blame," Mad-Eye surprisingly spoke up. "It's the werewolf scum that bit you."

Rather than say anything to that, he went back to the book and read out quickly: **He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione, said, "Shh!" She was watching Lupin very intently.**

**"****I was a very small boy when I received the bite. **

"So young…" Kingsley sighed, his heart going out to the man whom he considered a good friend.

"Oh, Remus," Molly gasped. She couldn't imagine who would bite a small boy like that.

**My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week, preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform… I'm able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.**

Remus nodded to himself, apparently dissatisfied despite the slight smile that had grown on his face. "While it is a great improvement, and I am grateful that it was invented—however that's not a _cure_. I wish I hadn't phrased it as such," he said grimly.

"Well, the important thing is that you're not as dangerous," Tonks added fiercely. "So you shouldn't let that stop you from doing the things you want."

Remus opened his mouth to tell her that this wasn't possible… that is until he saw the fire burning in her eyes and he momentarily forgot how to speak. They kept staring at each other for such a long time that Mad-Eye had to cough to snap them out of it.

As Remus quickly went back to the book, most of the others were smiling at how innocent these two were acting.

**"****Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me.**

"You're not a monster, Professor Moony," Sirius shook his head. "And I spent many a full moon with you as well."

"Then you should know better than anyone what I'm capable of!" he repeated. As they argued, Severus thought back to that night he first say a werewolf. The horror and terror that he experienced that night… He remained silent as he let the two talk it out, but could not help thinking that, were he a parent, he would not want _his_ child exposed to a werewolf. He narrowed his eyes as he glared at the two men with hatred… he knew that if it were up to them, he wouldn't be here right now.

**"****But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school…" **

"I know that I haven't expressed this often," Remus suddenly interrupted himself and looked up to Albus, who was looking surprised. "But I will always appreciate what you did for me so much sir, you gave me a chance when no one else did."

"You're welcome, Remus," Albus said graciously, a smile back on his face as well. "That truly means a lot to me. And I never saw any reason why you shouldn't be allowed to come to school."

'_I'll give you that much,'_ Sirius thought grudgingly as he sat quietly.

**Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house" — Lupin looked miserably around the room, — **

"Sounds like you hate that house," Mad-Eye observed calmly.

"I do," Remus muttered sadly. "I always hate going to that place because it reminds me of when I lose control."

"But it's got some good times as well," Sirius reminded him and Remus nodded half-heartedly.

"I can't argue with that," he agreed. "But… I sometimes think that's even worse." Being in that house reminded him how the four of them all promised to stick together and do anything for each other. And somehow, it was all an empty promise for one of them.

**"the tunnel that leads to it — they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."**

Severus glared at Sirius at those words.

"I always wondered about that," Tonks spoke softly. "It always seemed odd to plant such a dangerous tree in the grounds."

**Harry couldn't see where this story was going, but he was listening raptly all the same. **

"Something that he clearly doesn't do in Potions," Severus muttered under his breath.

"With you talking, who would?" Sirius offered helpfully. Remus almost had to shout out that next paragraph to distract the other two from killing each other.

**The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers' frightened squeaking.**

**"****My transformations in those days were — were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor… Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it…**

"That's terrible…" Tonks sighed, shaking her head and loosening her grip on Remus's arm, but gripping his hand very tightly.

"That's just the way it was," Remus explained softly. He was so lost in his thoughts; he didn't even notice how his own hand had tightened over hers just as tightly.

**"****But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black… Peter Pettigrew… and, of course, your father, Harry — James Potter.**

Remus's breath hitched in his throat as he thought of how that precious friendship was broken beyond all repair because of the cowardliness of one of them. Severus on the other hand, was looking murderous at the mention of those names.

**"****Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her…**

"Your excuses got more pathetic each time," Sirius reminded him.

"Well, there are only a handful of excuses you can come up with to cover the times you mysteriously disappear," Remus told him casually.

"Well, they were pretty good at first," Sirius agreed. "But around the end of the first year, they were getting pretty suspicious. I mean, you went home to the funeral of the same aunt _twice_."

"I was eleven!" Remus defended while Arthur, Tonks, and Kingsley all laughed. "Give me a break!"

**I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth…**

"Took us more than a year, though," admitted Sirius ruefully. "_And_ we saw you every day."

"Guess you're not as bright as you claimed to be, Black," Severus stated with a hiss.

"Oh, like you ever figured it out!" Sirius snapped back. "You saw us almost every day but you never caught on either!"

"But you're supposed to be _'Best Friends'_," Severus pointed out silkily.

The room was silent for a moment, watching the two of them back and forth almost like a tennis match, wondering what was going to happen…

"You—" Sirius stated icily. "Are so lucky that I'm over here."

**"****And they didn't desert me at all. **

"Not everyone is as prejudiced as the Ministry," Arthur said softly.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed with a slight bump on Remus's shoulder. "Look at me. I went against my family! How could I even think about judging you?"

"I was used to people treating me like…" Remus began but Sirius interrupted.

"Of course we couldn't care less what you were, Moony!" Sirius told him exasperated. "There's nothing the matter with you! You're a great person—with an—an issue that you need to deal with!"

"Yeah, Remus. I mean, not everyone's perfect," Tonks told him.

"But…" Remus began again, but this time it was Albus who spoke up.

"There is nothing you could've done, Remus," Albus stated softly, but firmly. "There will always be people who say cruel things because you are different, and sometimes their minds cannot be changed. But there are many more who don't judge you on how you look or what you are. Those are the people whose words truly matter."

"And whoever doesn't isn't worth listening to," Tonks nodded determinedly while most of them nodded in union.

Remus smiled at them all, unable to say anything to that. It took him a moment to remember how to talk and decided that it would be safest if he just went on.

**Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."**

**"****My dad too?" said Harry, astounded.**

"Of course, James first to change," Remus declared, sounding more cheerful.

"Yeah, but I figured it out not long after he did," Sirius reminded him huffily.

"He always was brilliant at Transfiguration," Minerva said quietly.

**"Yes, indeed," said Lupin. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school,**

"Aw, thanks, Moony," Sirius said, which cause Remus to roll his eyes.

"I think I meant to say it was Lily," Remus elaborated and Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.

"I'll let that go because it's true," he nodded smiling.

**and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."**

Snape scowled, while Albus's eyes twinkled, while the two Weasleys were shaking their head incredulously. Even people like Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and Minerva all looked impressed, "In fifth year? That's seriously advanced magic, if only you used your talents for schoolwork instead of pranks."

"And have the fun all sucked out of life?!" Sirius gasped in horror. "Never!"

**"****But how did that help you?" said Hermione, sounding puzzled.**

**"****They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," said Lupin. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed… Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."**

Tonks glanced up from the book, staring at Remus. "It really had that much effect?" she asked, sounding somewhat awed, and Remus nodded, smiling at the memories.

"I really don't remember too much of that," he admitted. "It's hard to tell the difference between what's real and what isn't when you're a werewolf. But the parts I _do_ remember, I felt more humane while they were with me."

"That was still very risky boys," Albus said worriedly. "I shudder to think at what could've happened if you all made a mistake."

"We were willing to do anything we could to make things easier for Remus, we were always very careful," Sirius said stubbornly.

"Still it was both irresponsible and dangerous," Minerva scolded. Her scolding them was so endearingly familiar that the two friends both burst out laughing.

"Some things never change," Sirius said fondly. "Even years after we left school, you still think that we're misbehaving students."

**"****Hurry up, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.**

"You're really starting to creep me out here, Sirius," Kingsley said, worried at this terrible lust for blood.

"I couldn't help myself," Sirius repeated strongly.

**"****I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there… well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night.**

"Ah, oh," Sirius said worriedly as stunned silence filled the room.

And then…

"YOU DID WHAT?" Molly yelled wide-eyed, glaring from Sirius to Remus, who was hiding his face behind a hand. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

Remus groaned miserably as he ran his fingers through his gray hair.

"HOW COULD YOU BOYS BE SO IRRESPONSIBLE YOU RISKED INOCENT LIFES?!" Minerva yelled angrily, paling dramatically once she found her voice. "YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN SOMEONE BITTEN OR KILLED!"

"Thanks a lot, Professor Moony," Sirius huffed.

"I know… I know!" he sighed, hanging his head. "It was stupid… I know that now…"

"And you!" the women fumed, turning on Sirius, who looked nervous. "Letting him do that! What would you have done if he had bitten someone? Leaving the shack…?"

"Professor," Sirius said surprisingly respectfully. "We were _always_ careful. James and I were big enough and strong enough to control a werewolf! Yes, we did have a couple of close calls but we were always able to prevent something from happening!"

"That's still no excuse," Albus frowned. "That was still a very dangerous thing to do. Not just for you, but for everyone else. I can understand staying together in the shack, but there wouldn't have been any close calls if you didn't wander the grounds those nights."

"I'm sorry," Remus said looking dejected. "I know it was stupid… but it made me feel… almost normal when we were together."

Both women closed their eyes, still fuming but stopped shouting. Remus had kept his mouth quiet for as long as he dared. He waited until he saw that everybody had calmed down and were letting this new information sink in. Finally, mustering up his courage, he went on in a slightly higher voice than usual…

**Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did… **

"Oh, I don't know about that," Albus said suddenly. "I believe that our 'Golden Trio' seem to have a talent for finding out about and visiting forbidden places as well. Such as the chambers with the Stone, the Chamber of Secrets and the Acromantula nest in Forbidden Forest."

"I'll give you that," Sirius muttered after he thought that over. "But I don't have to like it."

**And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs."**

"Now, if James was Prongs, that means Harry's own father was one of the authors of the Marauder's Map!" Tonks reviewed. "Wicked. Guess Harry was doomed by his genes to be a rule-breaker after all."

Sirius sniggered. "Poor kid never stood a chance."

**"****What sort of animal —?" Harry began, but Hermione cut him off. "That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"**

Molly and Minerva looked darkly at the two of them, but didn't say anything as they put their heads down in shame.

Albus shook his head; he wasn't sure how he felt about that piece of knowledge, he was glad Remus had friends who had made him feel more human, but if any of the other students had… he didn't want to finish that thought. And Remus wouldn't have just been expelled… he would've been sent to Azkaban…

**"****A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless — carried away with our own cleverness.**

"Arrogant more like," Severus disagreed with a growl.

**"****I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course… he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. **

"You didn't lead them into that Remus," said Albus quite firmly.

"Right, that was entirely our choice!" said Sirius forcefully—as if hoping for Remus to get that nailed into his head. "I remember you trying to get us to change our minds one night. I've never really cared about breaking those rules, either."

"But I cared!" Remus almost yelled. "And we aren't talking about breaking some school rule! This is the law! If anyone else ever found out about this then you all would've been…"

"We knew the risks," Sirius said waving his hand away. "And we believed that they were worth taking."

"Just keep reading," Mad-Eye growled. "All this cutesy stuff is making my skin crawl."

**But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed…"**

**Lupin's face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. "All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me… and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. **

Albus looked down—his heart once again weighed down by guilt. He knew that so many people put their trust in him… trust he didn't feel he deserved… and after reading this books… trust that he would never be able to earn back.

**He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it… so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."**

Severus smirked smugly. He knew all along that werewolf couldn't be trusted.

Seeing the guilt building on Remus' face, Tonks put her other hand on top of their already clasped ones and said, "You know that's not true. You were afraid… I can't blame you for that. If it were me, I couldn't do it either."

"But…" Remus began, but Sirius heard enough.

"If you did tell them about me, they might've captured me and then Wormtail would be free to do whatever he wanted. The Weasleys looked traumatized at that; still disgusted at the thought of a Death Eater living in their house for so many years. Arthur was suddenly wishing that Crookshanks did eat him.

**"****Snape?" said Black harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers; for the first time in minutes and looking up at Lupin. "What's Snape got to do with it?"**

**"****He's here, Sirius," said Lupin heavily. "He's teaching here as well." He looked up at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.**

**"****Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons… you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me —"**

"I knew this would come up!" cried Sirius, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. "Why can't you just accept an apology and be done with it?! Why do you always have to hold a grudge against innocent people?"

"Had your _'trick'_ succeeded, then I would've gotten killed! Or worse!" Severus snarled back and Remus flinched as if he had been slapped; Tonks glared reproachfully at Severus as Sirius called out.

"I didn't think that you'd be dumb enough to take my advice!" Sirius yelled incensed. "You spent our first four and half years not listening to a word I said! How was I supposed to know that you would be stupid enough to go and listen to me then?!"

"Just what happened?" Molly asked, looking between the two men. It was Remus who answered by saying: **Black made a derisive noise.**

**"****It served him right," he sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to… hoping he could get us expelled…"**

"_Sirius!_" the others exclaimed in shock, and Sirius hung his head to avoid their glares.

"Look," he said pointedly. "Look at Snape. At least I have a reason to be considered mad, and then tell me you're surprised. I never intended for anyone to get hurt that night! I was just trying to scare him into leaving Remus alone! I didn't think that he'd go and check it out!"

"That was still foolish, Sirius," Albus said softly.

"I know!" he yelled. "I know! You don't need to tell me what would've happened if things worked out differently." But he turned to Severus and said, "Though, it is good to see that you haven't changed much since school," Sirius said scathingly. "And you tell _others_ not to go sneaking around? What a hypocrite you turned out to be!"

Severus barred his teeth—he knew that Black had not cared what happened. He knew that Black would've loved it if he had been mauled to death by his 'best friend'.

**"****Severus was very interested in where I went every month." Lupin told Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "We were in the same year, you know, and we — er — didn't like each other very much. **

"Understatement of the century," Remus muttered under his breath.

**He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field… **

"I don't think so," Minerva said looking at Severus. "I know for a fact that you never shown the slightest interest in playing Quidditch."

"I didn't," Severus glared. "It was his big-head I hated."

"Shut up, Snivellus," Sirius growled menacingly. He had had it up to _here_ with the greasy-haired git insulting James.

**anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be — er — amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. **

"That could've got him killed!" Molly exclaimed in horror; even though she didn't like Severus, she couldn't imagine anyone dying that way! Not only Severus would pay the price… but Remus would have been sent to Azkaban for murder as well.

**Well, of course, Snape tried it — if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf — but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life… Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was…"**

Tonks paused, looking up, open-mouthed. "Is that really what happened?" she asked in a low, tightly controlled voice.

"More or less," admitted Remus, "Apart from the fact that it was never _intended_ to be amusing."

"And that's why there have been all those references to James saving Severus's life?" Arthur asked, as if wanting to make sure he got all his facts straight.

"He didn't…" Severus began but Albus interrupted.

"Did you not hear the explanation, Severus?" Albus asked calmly. "This is the other side of the story—it wasn't James' fault that you were there, yet he still risked his own life for you as well as for his friends, who would've suffered as well if things had played out differently."

"Seems that you had it wrong and Dumbledore had it right," Kingsley added. "Wonder what you would say if you heard."

Sirius sighed heavily, his guilt telling him sternly that he deserve every second of scolding, from whichever party it came. "I _wasn't_ thinking, ok?" he said heavily. "I was angry at him spying on Remus and was just trying to scare him into leaving him alone!"

Minerva had her mouth open to protest, but Remus cut across her—addressing Sirius. "I seem to remember two best friends having this exact conversation years ago," he said with forced humor. "And… I think you've had enough from the way that James was yelling at you once it was over. It happened, and it's over. Sirius… you made an awful mistake –" his tone had grown abruptly solemn, "And we were all, rightfully, extremely angry. For a while I wondered if I truly knew who you were and thought that I could never forgive you for doing that. But… but we all make mistakes, and even if I wanted to—I can't be mad at you forever."

"Especially when those best friends, _know _that you're a classified as dangerous, and not only refuse to turn their backs on you, but treat you as if you were normal… and even dedicated _years_ to working out how to make it more bearable, even when I never asked them to," Remus finished, his voice becoming slightly choked towards the end.

Sirius had reddened, and he continued to stare at his lap, feeling that Remus was being too generous. It was making it sound a lot nobler than it was…

"I still think that you were an idiot," Tonks said to Sirius who let out his bark-like laugh at how simple she put it. "And that goes for you Snape."

"What was that?" he demanded with a hard stare.

"Well what kind of person does what their enemy tells them to? Really, I thought that you had enough sense not to…"

"But people had a right to know!" Severus argued, sounding like an angry child again. "It isn't fair to everyone else to put them in that kind of danger without them knowing…"

"Severus," said Albus, in such a tone that he momentarily fell silent, chastened.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking that I would purposely put the safety of you or any other student at risk," he told him in a calm, yet stern voice. "Remus is only a danger once a month—for the rest of the time, he's no different from you or me. Remus was taken to the shack through the passage, well before the moon rose each month. The villagers were convinced that the house was haunted and they never came near it, especially at night. Had you not insisted on wandering the grounds after dark and prying into other people's matters, you would have been perfectly safe."

Severus looked outraged and opened his mouth to argue. But Albus held up a hand, he pierced Severus's black eyes with his bright blue gaze.

"Listen to me, Severus. As I'm sure you can agree that there hadn't been any attacks during your school years." Albus looked over at the pale looking, werewolf and went on, "You are blaming him for something that he, himself, has no control over. While I agree that Sirius should _not_ have said anything to you about how to get into the shack," he gave Sirius a hard frown. "I cannot blame Remus for what happened."

Severus continued to look angry, but was now looking more embarrassed at being told off as if he was still a child. Before Severus could think of a good comeback, Albus looked to Remus—who was looking grateful for Dumbledore's words—and asked, "How much longer is this chapter?"

"Only a few more lines," Remus answered automatically.

**"****So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"**

"That, and the fact that he doesn't know when to let go of a grudge and grow up," said Sirius. "I know I'm not one to talk!" He added when they all looked at him with raised eyebrows. "But at least I have a grudge against _him_! I don't take it out on innocent people."

**"****That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.**

**Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.**

"Oh, Merlin's pants," Mad-Eye muttered, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. This was the last thing they needed. They were never going to finish the damn book now.

Sirius growled with rage. "You heard all that and still insist on acting like a world-class git!"

"Great," Tonks groaned sarcastically. "Things just keep getting better and better! Snape never listens and he hates Sirius. He'll use any excuse to hurt him without even bothering to hear the story."

"That's the end of the chapter," Remus sighed with relief. He was glad that was over with, but it was only going to get more complicated in the next chapter. Because while Sirius and Severus started arguing again, he looked over and saw the title… **Chapter 19: ****The Servant of Lord Voldemort**.


	27. The Servant of Lord Voldemort

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 24: The Servant of Lord Voldemort**

"That's the end of the chapter," Remus sighed with relief. He was glad that was over with, but it was only going to get more complicated in the next chapter. Because while Sirius and Severus started arguing again, he looked over and saw the title… **Chapter 19: ****The Servant of Lord Voldemort**.

Arthur noticed how pale that Remus was and interrupted the arguing between Sirius and Severus. "If no one else minds," he said slowly, causing everyone to look warily at him. "But… I'm sure that I can read if you want, Remus?"

Remus was only too happy to hand it over, but the arguing didn't officially stop until Arthur read out the chapter name and saw the picture of the Shrieking Shack next to a rising full moon.

"I don't like the sound of that," said Molly shakily, looking at Sirius and Remus—who were both looking sickly green—and angry.

**Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry felt as though he'd received a huge electric shock.**

Severus smirked at the memory of how terrified they were of him. At least he knew he was doing his job.

"Don't know what you're smiling about," Sirius pointed out with a smirk of his own. "This just means that your face scares kids… and most adults."

Severus's smirk turned into a scowl very quickly as he glared at Sirius. "You're kind of the last person to be talking, Black," he sneered and Sirius's gaunt face turned even gaunter if possible.

**"****I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you…"**

"Wow," Tonks stated. "Guess you did get to hear the discussion, including that James wasn't personally responsible for the _'trick'_," she made air quotations around trick, "That almost took your life. You should be less hostile against Harry, right?"

"You would think so," Arthur said stiffly as Severus looked even more annoyed than usual. His anger at Potter would be always be much more than because of one simple trick. He had been forced to admit that maybe Potter and Lupin truly didn't have anything to do with the Whomping Willow incident… but he knew that he would always hate him.

**Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. **

Remus paled, if possible, even further and hid his face in his hands at his own stupidity.

"You didn't take your potion?" Molly asked, sharply, fear in her voice for the kids and Remus flinched. Albus shook his head sadly but didn't say anything.

Arthur broke off to stare at Remus in alarm, wide-eyed. "Oh, _no_," he breathed. "What are you both doing?" he demanded, his voice with an edge of panic. "You've got to get back to the castle at once!"

"But I don't get it," Tonks said confused, "It was already dark… I mean," she looked to Remus, "Why didn't you transform already?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't transform as soon as the sun sets," Remus explained. "I don't transform until the moon fully rises. What we consider moonrise – and what lycanthropy reacts to – happens when the Moon has fully risen."

Tonks nodded in understanding—and sadness—before Arthur was calm enough to continue.

**And very lucky I did… lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."**

"You didn't wipe the map?" Tonks asked, incredulous. "That's not like you at all."

"I forgot to wipe it," Remus said furious with himself. "After I saw Sirius's and Peter's names on the map I went straight to the shack."

"Can't say that I blame you," Kingsley said. "If I had seen an old friend that I thought was dead, someone you thought was a murderer, and three kids that might've been in danger… anyone would forget it. But…" he added slowly, looking at Severus. "This also means that you didn't see Peter's name on the map. If you took more notice of these things instead of leaping to conclusions…!"

"Normally, he does take his time, it's just he wants to get me back so badly, that he's not going to listen to reason," Sirius said sarcastically. "And you accuse Harry of jumping to conclusions."

"Shut it, Black," Severus said through gritted teeth.

**"****Severus —" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him.**

**"****I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. **

"What proof?" challenged Sirius with a growl. "All I see is that me and Remus are there with the three of them and no one's dead!"

"But how did I know that you two weren't in league with each other?" Severus asked and Sirius got angry again.

"You're seeing nothing apart from me, Remus, Harry, Ron and Hermione standing together in a room! For all you know, Remus could've there helping Harry!"

"But then, he might not have," Severus pointed out silkily. "Now, how was I supposed to know what was going on?"

Arthur wanted to get this chapter over with, but he was interrupted again after just one line.

**Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout —"**

"You aren't going to listen are you?" Minerva asked, though she already knew the answer… especially when he didn't answer back.

"Professor, you know that's never going to happen," Sirius said bitterly, and others nodded their head sadly in agreement.

**"****Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry —"**

"Why would I attempt to kill my own godson?" Sirius demanded in a voice that was as cold as ice.

"I can think of a few good reasons," Severus muttered in a voice so softly, not even Remus's keen hearing could pick it up.

**"****Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this… He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin… a tame werewolf —"**

Remus flinched again, as if Snape had brandished a whip at him.

"Severus," said Albus in a sad voice—practically dribbling with disappointment. Severus, once again, just turned away as if he couldn't care less, but a tiny seed of guilt was started to grow inside him.

"Yeah," Sirius snarled at Snape. "I bet that he also thinks that you're harmless too! At least he doesn't abuse the students."

"What the hell is your problem?" Tonks asked hotly, also glaring at Snape. "You wouldn't listen just because of a petty childhood grudge?! What would you have done if you were wrong? Hmm? What then?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you," he said in a would-be-calm voice, but you could hear the traces of anger boiling inside him.

**"****You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"**

**BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move.**

"That was uncalled-for," Kingsley said flatly, his voice hard, as everyone but Remus glared at him in anger and surprise.

"That's because what he's saying is right and he' too much of a stubborn git to admit it!" bellowed Tonks, now practically foaming at the mouth with rage.

"Damn straight!" joined in Sirius, also red with anger. "You'd rather get one over us all rather than hear us out!"

"Oh, like you're one to talk!" Severus demanded. "If I recall…"

"Stop, both of you," Albus said, his anger was starting to rise, and was starting to radiate off him in hot, but small, waves. They both fill silent as Arthur went on.

**With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.**

**"****Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."**

"Severus!" exclaimed Minerva, shocked. "You wouldn't really…?"

Severus had instantly schooled his face to an inscrutable blank, but his sudden pallor betrayed his inner turmoil. "Yes," he said bluntly after a seemingly interminable pause, drawing a sharp intake of breath from the rest.

Sirius gave a queer half-shrug, indicating that he was unsurprised by Severus' answer.

Several of them exchanged horrified looks, so most missed the sudden, convulsive jerk Severus' right hand made towards his left arm. The eyes of the Dumbledore remained glued to Severus' left sleeve, while his flicked back upwards to meet his own.

**Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred.**

**Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold on the struggling Scabbers. Hermione, however, took an uncertain step toward Snape and said, in a very breathless voice, "Professor Snape — it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?"**

"Listen to her, Severus, please," Minerva said softly.

"He won't listen to a student not when he thinks he's won," Sirius said, remembering with grim satisfaction to how it all ended.

**"****Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. **

"WHAT!" Molly and Tonks all shouted in unison.

"You can't do that!" Tonks yelled at him. "It's not their faults that they're there!"

"It is the truth," Severus replied jerkily, getting angrier at how they kept blaming everything on him. "They were all out-of-bounds and being in the company of a murderer and a werewolf weren't helping things."

"Oh, that's just the biggest load of…" Sirius stated, until Albus let off a few loud bangs from his wand. After a few more words of rage and insults thrown at Snape, they felt that Arthur should continue.

**"You, Potter, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."**

**"****But if — if there was a mistake —"**

**"****KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" **

"SEVERUS!" Minerva yelled, furiously turning to Severus, who groaned, not looking forward to this. "HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"

Kingsley scowled with a shake of his head. "And you're supposed to be a teacher."

Tonks jumped on board as well as she turned to Severus and angrily said, "You really need to get some sense if you think Hermione is stupid. I don't care if you were doing this to help them, or because of your grudge against Sirius. Either way, there are three rules to remember if you don't want trouble with Hermione: 1. don't call her a Mudblood," she grimaced at the foul word. "2. Don't insult her friends; and 3. Never… ever… call Hermione a 'Stupid Girl!'"

Sirius smirked to himself when he recalled how Hermione did just that.

**Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"**

"She understands better than you do!" Tonks snapped. Furious that anyone could ever insult her friend like that.

"I swear, if I hadn't had a wand aimed at my face…" Sirius muttered threateningly.

"Nice of you to have your revenge, rather than provide some form of explanation to three very confused teens who didn't have the slightest clue to what was going on," said Mad-Eye. Great, now even Moody was putting him down. Severus was so close to getting up and leaving but stopped when he heard the next few lines.

**A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent.**

**"****Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you…"**

**"****The joke's on you again, Severus," Black snarled.**

"I was under the impression that you two didn't even know each other's first names," Arthur said, trying to make a joke.

Remus on the other hand was frowning at Sirius. "I thought you would've know better than to try and taunt someone when they had their wand pointing at you."

"Old habits are hard to kill," Sirius answered defiantly.

**"****As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle" — he jerked his head at Ron — "I'll come quietly…"**

**"****Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black… pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay… I —"**

"You wouldn't dare," Tonks growled menacingly.

"You realize that you could've gotten in trouble for that?" Kingsley reminded him. "You do that without Ministry officials there, and then you could've gotten sent to Azkaban for that."

**What little color there was in Black's face left it.**

**"****You — you've got to hear me out," he croaked. "The rat — look at the rat —"**

**But there was a mad glint in Snape's eyes that Harry had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason.**

"Severus," Albus said evenly, fighting hard to make his voice sound calm. "I understand why you are angry, but you can't let it go this far." Albus knew that Severus thought that he was confronting the man that he believed had caused Lily's death (the only person he truly cared about), it's not that hard to believe that he would be beyond reason where Sirius was concerned.

For a moment it seemed that Severus was hovering on the brink of speech, struggling to put into words a concept too difficult to explain or perhaps even an apology too painful to voice, but then he let out his breath in a shallow sigh and refused to say anything.

**"****Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him too —"**

"What?" cried most of the room in a furious chorus. Sirius's voice was sharp and filled with anger, Kingsley's deep brass voice boomed throughout the room, as Tonks's shouted in disbelief, while Remus didn't say a world—just shaking with fear at the very idea.

Severus did not meet their eyes, but his lips twisting bitterly as he remembered the horrifying night that had spawned his devastating terror of the wolf hidden within Lupin's calm exterior. He hardly even noticed the shouts of anger and insults that were being thrown at him.

"Severus," Albus said quietly, though he was heard over the noise. "We will talk about this later."

**Before he knew what he was doing, Harry had crossed the room in three strides and blocked the door.**

**"****Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," snarled Snape. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin —"**

"Sirius and I would never hurt him," Remus said softly, and Sirius nodded firmly.

**"****Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," Harry said. "I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the Dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"**

"There, Harry," said Sirius proudly, looking round at everyone else, "Even a teenage boy has more sense that you do!"

"He's just too stubborn to admit that I might've been right," Severus hissed.

"But you weren't," Tonks reminded him sharply.

**"****Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape. "Get out of the way, Potter."**

"Is that the best answer you can come up with?" Molly demanded.

**"****YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN —"**

The two Marauders both winced as Severus' whole body had tautened with fury. There was proof that Potter was just as arrogant as his worthless father.

**"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. **

"SO IT WAS OK FOR YOU TO SPEAK LIKE THAT TO HERMIONE?" Tonks screamed at him while the other two women glared furious at him.

Severus however had had enough with their judgment. "Do NOT speak of what you do NOT understand!" Albus opened his mouth to reprimand Snape but Tonks went on; every word laced with anger.

"You're such a JERK! But because you are so stupid that you can't let go of the past – you wouldn't listen to them; even if you didn't want to listen to Remus or Sirius you should and could have listen to the children… you are supposed to be an ADULT! And what right do you have to treat innocent children who have not done anything wrong, the way you do! You're just so… ARRGH!"

She took several deep breaths, apparently to angry to say any more. So she folded her arms and slumped back into her seat muttering, "Moron," under her breath. The others gave her impressed looks… but what was said next really pushed them all to the breaking point.

**"Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! **

Molly opened her mouth in outrage, but Sirius got there first. The muffled voice of Sirius was heard gasping and expressing everyone's opinion "And you have the nerve – to call Harry… arrogant! How dare you wish death on my godson! You have some nerve!"

"ENOUGH!"

The angriness emanating from Dumbledore's figure silenced everyone. They had never seen the man so angry, and the chill emanating from him caused everyone nearby to shiver involuntarily. "Severus," he said, his voice like ice—and Severus shivered. "We will talk about this. I think that we should all take a break after this chapter so that if there's anything that needs to be said, it will be given a chance."

No one dared to object as he leaned back. Arthur waited until he was sure that he could control his voice before he turned the page.

**You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black — now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"**

"Don't you dare talk to my godson like that!" Sirius snarled furiously.

Albus closed his eyes briefly – trying to remind himself that Severus _did _have a good reason for acting like this… but if there was one thing he could not stand, it was when anyone threatened his students.

**Harry made up his mind in a split second. Before Snape could take even one step toward him, he had raised his wand.**

**"****Expelliarmus!" he yelled — **

"Is that the only spell he knows?" Mad-Eye asked, thinking how the boy seems to always use it when faced with a dangerous situation.

Kingsley shrugged and answered reasonably, "Well, while you were an excellent teacher, Remus, and that they learned a lot… you taught them how to deal with dark creatures. Out of their first few years, it seems to me that it was the only spell they learned from Quirrell and Lockhart. So it really doesn't surprise me that it's probably the only useful thing he'd learn."

**except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.**

Sirius rolled around with laughter, holding onto his ribs as Severus looked humiliated. "Brilliant! Now your unconscious… where you're most helpful," he answered.

"But how did that happen?" Minerva asked, also looking as though she was fighting a smile at how easily Severus was taken out. "Expelliarmus doesn't do that…"

"Wait for it…" Remus answered her as Arthur read on ahead and chuckled at what he found out.

**Harry looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks.**

Severus automatically grimaced at the description. This made sense… he had been wondering what happened after that point… he had assumed that it was only Potter who attacked him. Just two more reason to hate that little group of misfits.

"They all cursed him together," Sirius laughed again. "I knew right away that I liked that they were friends."

"That was pretty powerful," Kingsley said in an impressed tone.

"Well, combining spells always makes them stronger," Remus reminded him.

**"****You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me…"**

"You didn't have a wand," Tonks pointed out to Sirius.

"I didn't want Harry getting in any more trouble," Sirius stated firmly. "And it was my fault that he was there in the first place. He was already out of bounds after curfew…" he glared at Snape and finished, "That was one thing that you were right about, but it was my fault that they were there."

"What were you going to do, Sirius?" asked Tonks sarcastically, making Sirius look away in embarrassment. "What did you think you were going to do, without a wand to defend yourself?"

Sirius shrugged. "I'm sure that I would've thought of something. I do well under pressure."

**Harry avoided Black's eyes. He wasn't sure, even now, that he'd done the right thing.**

**"****We attacked a teacher… We attacked a teacher…" Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble —"**

"Yeah, like that was the worst thing they were doing at the moment," Tonks scoffed. "Hopefully, he won't remember this."

"I do," Severus said jerkily. "And now that I know who else was responsible…"

But Sirius, foreseeing what he was about to say, quickly said, "I told you. If you want to take your anger and hate out on someone, do it to me. I can't make you change your mind about Harry. But if nothing else, just leave him alone!"

"Touching," Severus hissed. "In fact, it was so touching that I almost feel the urge to throw up."

But he had finally gone too far. Sirius had finally snapped. Not even bothering with his wand, before anyone could understand what happened, Sirius had launched himself from his seat—and onto Snape before knocking the chair over and started punching every single part of him that he could reach. Buckbeak shrieked as he woke up and got up to his feet. Tonks yelled as she ran forward and wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him from attacking anyone.

"SIRIUS!" Remus yelled as Kingsley and all the others got up and tried to pull them apart. Arthur actually threw the book away as he jumped up and grabbed Sirius's thin shoulders. With a mighty tug—he, Kingsley, and Remus were able to pull Sirius back and away from Snape—now carrying a black eye. But once he was pulled up, he returned the favor and launched himself at Sirius.

But this time, he had his wand held high, about to utter a curse… but Albus had cried, "Expelliarmus!"

His wand had flown high into the air, spun and Albus caught it. They all looked to him, to Severus, to Sirius—who was still breathing hard.

"I hope I don't have to say this again," Albus said, his voice emanating with great power. "But enough. You are both grown men fighting like angry children. We are all on the same side. We all want the same thing. We want to end this war and Voldemort. That is why we are reading these books… to hopefully find a way to do just that. But if you both can't sit here and read a book without fighting amongst yourselves, what hope does the rest of the Wizarding World have?"

Both men were breathing hard. But Albus's voice held such a finality to it, that they didn't dare argue. After several minutes, everyone still staring at them… they both sat down. Neither face showed any emotion, but the air was so thick between them that you could cut it with a knife. Tonks lead Buckbeak to a quiet corner of the room and waited with him until he calmed down.

After a couple more minutes, and neither one said a word, Albus looked to Arthur and said coolly, "Arthur? I think it's safe to go on."

Arthur looked confused before he remembered the book. He muttered a quickly apology as he picked it up and searched until he found the right page.

**Lupin was struggling against his bonds. Black bent down quickly and untied him. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them.**

"Were you ok?" Tonks asked worriedly, hoping to draw something away from what just happened as she left an irritated hippogriff and took her seat next to Remus again.

"Ye-yes," Remus stuttered. "It was nothing."

**"****Thank you, Harry," he said.**

**"****I'm still not saying I believe you," he told Lupin.**

**"****Then it's time we offered you some proof," said Lupin. "You, boy — give me Peter, please. Now."**

"But you knew Ron's name," Molly said confused, and a little angry at how Remus treated him.

"I wasn't thinking straight with everything going on," he muttered embarrassed. "Sorry, but I was greatly stressed."

"What are you going to do to him though?" she asked with a quick glance at the book.

With a rather grim smile, it was Minerva who answered. "There's a simple charm to force a wizard out of his Animagus form. It only works on Animagi… if he really is a rat, then it wouldn't have done a thing."

**Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.**

**"****Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? **

'_That, and to see my godson,'_ Sirius thought to himself, now putting his sleeve up to his cut lip.

**I mean…" He looked up at Harry and Hermione for support, "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat — there are millions of rats — how's he supposed to know which one he is after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"**

A few of the others frowned in thought. That was a fair question, and most leaned in to hear the real explanation…

**"****You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, turning to Black and frowning slightly.**

**"****How did you find out where he was?"**

**Black put one of his claw-like hands**

Sirius looked at his hands sadly.

**inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others.**

**It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.**

"The newspaper cutting," finished Tonks with a smack to her own head, "Of course! It had the photo of the Weasley family, with Ron and Scabbers."

"How did you get the paper?" Arthur asked stunned.

"Fudge gave me a paper; remember for the crossword?" Sirius reminded him, speaking for the first time. "I was so desperate for some forms of entertainment that I needed something to do.

Arthur breathed in dismay. "Remember?" he added in disgust. "What Fudge said back in Hogsmeade, about all that they were able to find left of Pettigrew were a few 'fragments'" he thought he was about to be sick. "And we all know that Scabbers was missing a toe."

Molly groaned, wishing that she had told Percy that they couldn't keep the rat.

**"****How did you get this?" Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck.**

**"****Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder… I knew him at once… how many times had I seen him transform? **

"Because he wanted the 'crossword'," Tonks whispered with a little grin.

"That's true," admitted Sirius bleakly. "Even after all these years, I'd know him in an instant."

**And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts… to where Harry was…"**

"So you broke out of Azkaban to protect Harry… you thought that he was in danger," Molly said instantly feeling a wave of gratitude to Sirius.

"He could've been," Albus said sighing heavily. "No one else had any idea that he was still alive. And if he thought that Voldemort was coming back into power again… he might've done something…"

**"My God," said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw…"**

**"****What about it?" said Ron defiantly.**

**"****He's got a toe missing," said Black.**

**"****Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple… so brilliant… he cut it off himself?"**

"I hoped it hurt," Sirius spat.

**"****Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself — and sped down into the sewer with the other rats…"**

"It's just so horrible… he didn't even care about all those innocent lives…" Molly said looking like she might cry; a look that was becoming more and more common on her face lately… the cruelty of what that one coward did… how could someone not feel anything for killing all those innocent people?

'_A whole handful of ironic 'coincidences,' _Mad-Eye thought._ 'Now we know the reason behind all the fingers… but…'_

"Now Pettigrew is still a coward, but is this the same Longbottom-like person that McGonagall's got teary-eyed over?" he asked them roughly. "Did you say that he was the one who couldn't hold his own in a duel? Was that a great acting job back in school or in this an indication that Dark magic can have a powerful influence on wizards? Or are there still unanswered questions…?" he looked to Sirius. "If you were telling the truth, Black, how did he beat you? There is still something very cagey about this rat trap."

Sirius looked bitter. "It was a spell that I'm sure that his 'Master' taught him. Technically, we weren't dueling. He yelled for the whole street to hear that _I_ was the one who betrayed James and Lily. And with the wand behind his back, he used that dark bit of magic and killed everyone behind him within 12 feet."

He looked so grumpy that Mad-Eye decided not to press the matter. But was still looking at him suspiciously.

**"****Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."**

**"****Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right —"**

**"****Twelve years, in fact," said Lupin. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"**

**"****We — we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.**

"Wish we hadn't," Arthur snarled.

**"****Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again…"**

**"****He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed.**

**But that wasn't right, Harry thought suddenly… Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks… ever since Ron's return from Egypt… since the time when Black had escaped…**

Albus smiled—along with the Aurors in the room. Harry had the makings of being a great Auror… a great memory and he noticed almost everything around him.

**"****This cat isn't mad," said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me… Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me…"**

"Who would've thought?" Remus chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "YOU? Working with a cat?" But inside he was sickened with himself.

"Never thought you'd see a cat you liked," Minerva commented.

"I was taught by you wasn't I?" Sirius shot back with a grin, and she raised her eyebrows.

**"****What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.**

**"****He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't… so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me… As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table…"**

"So it was Crookshanks who stole the passwords?" Molly repeated.

"Yep," Sirius nodded. "I couldn't figure out what it was at first—just a list of random words… but then I realized that one of them had to have been the password to get into the tower. If I ever get my name cleared, I need to apologize to Neville."

**Harry's brain seemed to be sagging under the weight of what he was hearing. It was absurd… and yet…**

"It make sense…" Tonks finished quietly. Severus snorted, as if he highly doubted it.

**"****But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it." croaked Black. "This cat — Crookshanks, did you call him? — told me Peter had left blood on the sheets…**

"Being part Kneazle may explain how Crookshanks saw through Scabbers," Kingsley said suddenly. "But it doesn't explain how he knew enough to steal Neville's password list or managed to 'tell' you that Wormtail left blood on the sheets. Is there something we should know about animal communications here?"

"Sort of… it more like body language more than anything," Sirius answered.

**I supposed he bit himself… Well, faking his own death had worked once."**

**These words jolted Harry to his senses.**

**"****And why did he fake his death?" he said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"**

**"****No," said Lupin, "Harry—"**

**"****And now you've come to finish him off!"**

"And you accused me of not listening…" muttered a disgruntled Snape.

Minerva shot him a cold look. "In case you haven't noticed. Harry is a child—and he had reason to be angry—you did not." Severus flinched and the rest all looked extremely weary but Arthur read on before Severus could do or say anything.

**"****Yes, I have," said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers.**

"Sirius!" Tonks protested frustrated. "At least try to make an effort to explain what happened."

"I wanted to get Wormtail out of the way first," he muttered coldly.

**"****Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.**

Severus looked surprised that he had said that.

**"****Harry," said Lupin hurriedly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down — but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father — Sirius tracked Peter down —"**

**"****THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"**

"That's true, Sirius, you did say to Harry earlier that you'd killed them…" said Molly, sounding confused.

"I did say that," Sirius mused sadly. "But… I didn't actually say I was their Secret-Keeper did I? But I can't deny that I did help kill them."

Remus sighed. "I think we all know what's going on there, Sirius," he said lightly. "If Pettigrew ended up the Secret-Keeper, you shouldn't be blaming yourself for his mistakes."

Sirius merely shrugged noncommittally.

**He was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over bright.**

**"Harry… I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me…**

"Idiot," Tonks said slapping him on the head. "Stop trying to take the credit for all this!"

"You could've chosen your words better," Remus said shaking his head.

**I'm to blame, I know it… The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house,** **destroyed, and their bodies… I realized what Peter must've done… what I'd done…"**

**His voice broke. He turned away.**

Sirius dropped his gaze to his lap, but not before the others saw the tears that had gathered in them, and as he lowered his head into his eyes… the tears falling, thankfully, no one could see them.

"Sirius, it's not your fault," Molly burst out to everyone's surprise. "It's not your fault. You didn't force them to change Secret Keeper…" Her voice trailed off, as she stared at the book. Molly now had tears forming in her eyes as well; she had never really thought about what Sirius must have gone through; he lost everything that was dear to him in one night… guilt filling her for always giving him a hard time. Promising to apologize to him as soon as they were finished with this chapter.

Remus was looking sick to his stomach. He knew Sirius… he knew him for years… and yet he had turned against him. When he had learned what happened the day after Halloween, it shattered him to think that all his friends were gone. How he thought that James, Lily, and Peter were all dead… Sirius was the traitor and now living the rest of his days in Azkaban, and little Harry was forced to live with Muggles. He had given up all thoughts of ever being happy again. He decided that he was just meant to be alone. But…

But there was also a part of him that couldn't believe that Sirius was guilty. Why didn't he listen to that part? Why didn't he go to the Ministry and demand a trial if nothing else? Some friend he was—and after everything that Padfoot had done for him.

"Sirius?" he heard Tonks whisper. "I heard _nothing_ there that made it your fault."

Sirius didn't even look at her as all his emotions from that night came flooding back. He wished that he could wake up from this nightmare already. He wanted to wake up—to find that these last 14 years were all just a long, bad dream. That Harry was still a baby, safe and sound in his mother's arms, while his father greeted him with that impish grin that often meant trouble for many a teacher.

But when he opened his eyes, he was still stuck in this never-ending nightmare. Arthur gave him a sympathetic look before he decided to keep reading.

**"****Enough of this," said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before.** **"****There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."**

**"****What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Lupin tensely.**

**"****Force him to show himself," said Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."**

Everyone was silent, leaning forwards in their seats in anticipation, some praying that they were wrong and that there'd been some terrible mistake.

**Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. "Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.**

**Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.**

"You touched my wand?" Severus snarled ferociously.

"And I used it," Sirius spat back at him. He would never admit to it, but as he looked at Snape's blackened eye, he felt a surge of joy. Being able to release all that anger and frustration on someone… oh, it felt so good.

**"****Together?" he said quietly.**

**"****I think so", said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One — two — THREE!"**

**A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly — Ron yelled — the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then —**

**It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up.**

Molly burst out sobbing.

"Molly," Tonks said startled. "It's ok. This already happened remember? You did know…"

"No, it's n-not," Molly sobbed, wiping her eyes angrily on the back of her hand. "We took care of him for all these years. And he was the one who's to blame for having Harry put up with th-those d-dreadful p-people."

"Molly," Remus said. "You didn't know. How could you have known? I know that this must be a great shock. But we all now know the truth. And we aren't going to let him get away with this."

She sniffled as she took Arthur's frozen hand. He was clenching the book so tightly that every thought that for sure that it would tear in half. He took several deep breaths before he was able to find his voice.

**He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colourless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.**

**"****Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him.**

"Well, they do… for us anyway," Remus said soberly.

"I see that he hasn't changed much from his rat form," Mad-Eye said darkly. "So, is this why the Sneakoscope went off in Weasley's pocket when he tied it to Errol? Was Scabbers in his pocket then, or was it just because he was using Errol when he shouldn't?"

"Right now, Mad-Eye," Tonks asked. "I honestly don't care."

**"****Long time, no see."**

**"****S—Sirius… R—Remus…" Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends… my old friends…"**

"He didn't just going there," Tonks growled, furious that he would've had the gall to say that after everything he did.

Sirius was grinding his teeth in anger, he was furious beyond words as Remus' eyebrows had descended into a furious frown. Sirius spat—his voice shaking with rage, "His 'friends'… how dare he look at us and still call us that?"

**Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.**

**"****We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed —"**

**"****Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you…? He tried to kill me, Remus…"**

"And you killed your best friend as well as being responsible for 12 innocent Muggles who did nothing but get up that morning," Sirius snarled furiously. "And to top it all off? You framed _me_ for it. You wait until I get my hands on you Wormtail. I'll be getting you back for all this."

"And we'll all help," Tonks growled.

**"****So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so —"**

**"****He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too… You've got to help me, Remus…"**

Remus closed his eyes at this—even after all this—his former friend Wormtail was still trying to beg for his life.

"Coward," muttered Mad-Eye in a voice that held nothing but disgust. "Now he's back to begging that they spare him. I wonder how he gets out of this."

Sirius smiled grimly at the memory.

**Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.**

"Should've killed him while I had the chance," Sirius grumbled to himself and Remus looked torn.

**"****No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.**

**"****Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"**

"Even though no one has ever escaped Azkaban before?" Tonks asked skeptically. "I think you're just panicking because you've been caught."

Sirius laughed darkly at this, glad that he was able to do that much.

**"****You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"**

**"****He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"**

Sirius let out a snort, clearly torn between fury and disbelief.

**Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room.**

"I always did hate it when you do that," Remus murmured with a shudder.

"That reminds me, Sirius," Albus said suddenly with a calm voice, "Why did you laugh after those people died? Because that was the one thing that convinced everyone that you were guilty. "

"I was in shock," Sirius shrugged honestly. "Couldn't believe Peter, of all people, got the better of me. Sometimes when I'm under a lot of stress… well… I didn't know what I was doing."

Sirius remembered that day so well. He remembered how he stared at the scene in front of him in stunned silence, and then, suddenly, he started to laugh. But not one of the laughs that he used to share with James after they had successively pulled a prank. This laugh was empty, mirthless, one of complete madness, the laugh only capable for someone who had lost everything including his own sanity. Thoughts swirled around in his head, with one being at the center. Harmless little Peter, the hopeless Wormtail had actually gotten the better of him.

Even after they had put him under arrest, and dragged him away, he continued his deranged laughter. After all, he did everything in his power to try to prevent the deaths of his dearest friends, and because of his stupid idea, they were really what caused them. He had lost everything and the only way to prevent the tears from falling was to laugh.

**"****Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.**

**Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him.**

"There," Remus said, shutting his eyes tightly as he griped his fists so tightly that his nails were cutting into his palms. "That's… that's proof that Sirius was innocent. No follower of Voldemort would ever use his name. They call him the Dark Lord."

'_And with good reason,'_ thought Severus darkly.

**"****What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"**

**"****Don't know what you mean, Sirius —" muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now.**

**"****You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said Black. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter… **

Sirius shuddered at those dark, cold memories. He felt the need to cover his ears to block out the memories of the screaming.

**They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them… I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information… and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter —"**

"He's dead meat," Mad-Eye stated relaxed.

"You're so good with words, Mad-Eye," Tonks smirked.

**"****Don't know… what you're talking about…" said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this — this madness, Remus —"**

**"****I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.**

**"****Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban — the spy, Sirius Black!"**

"Bet you loved that," Kingsley said calmly and Sirius barred his teeth.

**Black's face contorted.**

**"****How dare you," he growled, sounding suddenly like the bearsized dog he had been. **

"Another thing I hate that you do," Remus shivered.

"Useful though," Sirius growled.

**"I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter — I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us… me and Remus… and James…"**

"Do you really think that's all you were for him?" Tonks said bitterly.

"I don't know," Sirius said; but he greatly tempted to say yes.

"I think he _was_ our friend," Remus said sadly. "But friendship didn't mean the same to him as it did us…"

**Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath.**

**"Me, a spy… must be out of your mind… never… don't know how you can say such a —"**

**"****Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. "I thought it was the perfect plan… a bluff… Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you… **

"And that's why we suspected each other," Sirius explained to Remus. "We both narrowed the spy down to just the three of us, knew that we weren't the spy ourselves, and figured that there was no way Peter had the talent, brains, or the guts to ever serve Voldemort."

"So by process of elimination …" Remus trailed off, nodding. "Padfoot?"

"Hmm?" he asked sourly.

"Do you mind if we talk after this chapter?" he asked hesitantly.

"'bout what?" he asked in surprise.

"Just some things…" Remus said softly, uncomfortably aware that everyone was looking at him. He just shifted uncomfortably and refused to say anything else.

**It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."**

**Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; Harry caught words like "far-fetched" and "lunacy," but he couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen color of Pettigrew's face and the way his eyes continued to dart toward the windows and door.**

Albus smiled proudly, as the Aurors all looked impressed at how observant that the boy was.

**"****Professor Lupin?" said Hermione timidly. "Can — can I say something?"**

**"****Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.**

**"****Well — Scabbers — I mean, this — this man — he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"**

"That's a good question," Molly agreed her brow wrinkling in confusion, looking up. "Why is that?"

"Why would he risk a perfectly good hiding place in order to murder the wizarding world's savior for a dark wizard who's barely alive?" Mad-Eye asked as if he thought that she was dim.

"Besides," Sirius added through his gritted teeth. "Trust me… he doesn't give a damn about Harry anymore than he did back when he made him an orphan."

"I can't believe this!" Arthur spat, thinking of how that filthy rat had been sleeping in their house for all these years! That was wrong on so many levels. "Sick… I'll never be able to look at a rat again," he finished, feeling quite nauseous.

**"****There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"**

**"****I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. **

"Well, maybe not that," Remus disagreed slowly. "He did choose to become an Animagus to help me. He didn't get anything out of that…"

"Except for those useful powers," Mad-Eye pointed out sharply. "Don't tell me that you don't think that he thought it was just an added bonus."

Remus flinched horribly, once again feeling guilt enter his heart at how his condition had done more harm than good. Sirius just noticed Remus's face and was about to ask what was wrong when they went on.

**Voldemort's been in hiding for twelve years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? **

"That, and Voldemort wouldn't be pleased with him for killing the one person that he had failed to kill," Mad-Eye said casually. "I think that he's made it very clear that he wants to kill the boy himself."

**You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him…"**

**Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.**

**"****Er — Mr. Black — Sirius?" said Hermione.**

**Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.**

Sirius and Remus's eyes met and they both snorted with laughter. Hermione had that effect on people, no doubt about that.

**"****If you don't mind me asking, how — how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"**

The atmosphere in the room sharpened and grew serious once more as everyone leaned just a fraction closer to hear the story.

**"****Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I —"**

**But Lupin silenced him with a look. Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he were annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer.**

"I was…" Sirius croaked out. "Sometimes I still can't believe how I did it."

Those who didn't know, sat forward, eager to learn more.

**"****I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me… but it kept me sane and knowing who I am… helped me keep my powers… so when it all became… too much… I could transform in my cell… become a dog. **

Arthur gasped and slapped his forehead. "Of course!"

"You got out by becoming a dog," Mad-Eye said. It wasn't a question… just a statement.

"Of course, why didn't I realize?" Kingsley said, shaking his head with a smile. "Dementors don't effect animals."

"Wicked," Tonks grinned.

**Dementors can't see, you know…" He swallowed. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions… They could tell that my feelings were less — less human, less complex when I was a dog… but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. **

"So, Dementors don't affect non-happy thoughts. So you were able to fight them off, so it is possible to do that," Kingsley said deeply impressed.

Remus noticed a small shiver run down Padfoot's back.

**But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand…**

**"****But then I saw Peter in that picture… I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry… perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again…"**

**Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized.**

**"… ****ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies… and to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors…**

**"****So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive…"**

"Everything you did… you did to try and protect him," Molly said beaming and her eyes which were still shining with tears from earlier started flowing again. "Oh, I'm so sorry… Sirius," she mumbled.

"What are you on about?" he asked confused and was startled to see that she was crying. By now, others were smiling, too. "You did it for Harry, Padfoot," Arthur said softly, "to keep him safe."

"Of course," he said as if it wasn't important, but there was no way you could miss the light in his eyes. "He's my godson. I had to do something."

**Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Weasley. "The guards say he's been talking in his sleep… always the same words… **_**'He's at Hogwarts.'**_**"**

**"****It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it… It wasn't a happy feeling… it was an obsession… but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. **

"So really… it was Harry who saved me, in a sense," murmured Sirius sadly. He meant it of course—just thinking about how he had to protect that baby boy was the only thing that kept him from losing his mind.

**So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, **

Sirius snorted. Did he say food? He meant slop.

**I slipped past them as a dog… It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused… I was thin, very thin… thin enough to slip through the bars… I swam as a dog back to the mainland… I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since,**

"That's quite a feat, Sirius," Remus commented. "Trust you to do the impossible."

"And I'm not going to ask what you'd been living on… ugh," Tonks said pulling a face. "So 'He's at Hogwarts' didn't mean Harry at all. Jumping to conclusions sets us up to falling a trap blindly?"

"Of course," Mad-Eye snapped at her. If you paid attention, you would've known that."

"I was just pointing it out!" Tonks yelled back.

**except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry…"**

"Nah, I think I meant to say he flies even better than his father," Sirius smiled sadly.

**He looked at Harry, who did not look away.**

**"****Believe me," croaked Black. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."**

**And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.**

Sirius looked at the book, wanting to make sure he heard correctly, he asked, "Could you read that part again?"

Arthur smiled at him and read: **And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.**

"And he believes me? He doesn't hate me anymore?" he said softly, as though saying it any louder might break it and make it untrue. He knew that it was true… but hearing it… made all the difference. Just that small gesture—knowing that Harry believed him—it meant the world to him. "Thank goodness, I thought it would take another chapter," Sirius sighed in relief, sounding close to sobs of laughter this time.

Others smiled kindly at him, besides Severus who looked like he was going to vomit.

**"****No!"**

**Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's nod had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.**

**"****Sirius — it's me… it's Peter… your friend… you wouldn't —"**

That wiped everyone's smiles off. Sirius' shoulders hunched and his eyes narrowed in a mixture of fury and grief. "My friend?" he repeated, his voice thick with suppressed anger. "How _can_ he still look at me and call me that?"

**Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.**

**"****There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," said Black.**

"I can't believe he actually tried to plead with you, after everything he'd done?" Remus said bitterly.

"Coward would do anything to save his own miserable life," Sirius snarled.

**"****Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this — wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"**

"If he thought that there was a spy, he would have kept it secret from as many people as possible," said Tonks reasonably.

"If only I didn't pick the wrong, damn person!" Sirius cried out angrily with a fierce glare at Remus. "If I had chosen you, none of this would've happened!"

"We can talk about it after this chapter," Remus promised, though was no afraid of what was going to be said.

**"****Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head.**

"_Casually,_" Sirius repeated, snorting. "Only you could be casual at a time like that!"

**"****Forgive me, Remus," said Black.**

"So you didn't trust me," Remus said, but there was no anger or hurt in his voice, it was a announcement.

"You said we can talk about it after this chapter," he looked to Arthur. "How much longer…?"

"Only a couple more pages," Arthur said looking ahead.l

**"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"**

**"****Of course," said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"**

"You can't kill him there," Kingsley said quietly. "What's done is done."

"I thought that you were the one who spared him," Tonks whispered, looking at Remus as if she never saw him before.

He looked both regretful, and ashamed. "I never said that it was me who spared him. I wanted revenge just as much as Sirius did that night once I learned the truth. Arthur? Just keep going. I think we can all breathe a little easier once we're finally through here."

**"****Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.**

**"****You wouldn't… you won't…" gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron.**

**"****Ron… haven't I been a good friend… a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you… you're on my side, aren't you?"**

"He lived with you for twelve years and has been your pet for years and he still doesn't know you," Sirius scoffed. "I would think Ron hates him almost as much as me."

"Not as much as I do now," Arthur muttered darkly.

**But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.**

"And do you blame him?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "I sure don't!"

**"****I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.**

**"Kind boy… kind master…" Pettigrew crawled toward Ron "You won't let them do it… I was your rat… I was a good pet…"**

**"****If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Black harshly.**

**Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes.**

"He better leave her alone!" Molly said threateningly. Stooping so low as to ask a teenage girl, who had nothing to do with this, to save him?

**"****Sweet girl… clever girl… you — you won't let them… Help me…"**

Remus grimaced. "It's disgusting," he muttered, shaking his head slowly.

"What the hell is the matter with him? He never could face up to what he'd done. He'd ruin more than one life trying to save his own skin," Sirius stated, and Severus couldn't help but agree. Not that he would ever say it out loud.

**Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.**

**Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry.**

"Don't you dare touch him!" Sirius growled menacingly. When he had turned to Harry that night, he was ready to rip Wormtail's throat out.

**"****Harry… Harry… you look just like your father… just like him…"**

They all tensed with fury, but to everyone's surprise, it was Molly who erupted first.

"HOW DARE HE?!" Molly shrieked, leaping to her feet. "HE'S THE REASON HARRY DOESN'T REMEMBER HIS PARENTS AND…" she took a few deep breaths as she sat back down. "How dare he even _talk _to him? It's _his fault_ Harry grew up in that miserable, horrible house! How _dare_ he?"

"For once, I completely agree with you," Sirius said with a nod of his head. "Couldn't have said it better myself… though maybe with a few more… ah… _'Choice'_ words on my part."

'_So now, he's begging the son of the man he betrayed,'_ Albus thought sadly._ 'The very person he deprived of parents, the very person he doomed to a life of terror from Voldemort… he's begging him to spare him of the thing that he deprived him of… life…'_

"He doesn't deserve to look at him," Minerva said, seriously, disgusted that he had ever been in her house.

"Molly…" Remus said, trying to calm her. "Trust me, Sirius didn't let Peter get away with it."

**"****HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. **

"See?" Remus said once Arthur had roared out the name, (Buckbeak was now wishing that he was back upstairs.)

Sirius was growling under his breath again. "How dare him… how can he even look at him… why… whatever possessed him… It's less than what he deserves."

**"HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"**

**"****Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed… James would have understood, Harry… he would have shown me mercy…"**

"He wouldn't have understood but he would have showed him mercy," Minerva corrected, remembering how James was like when she knew him.

"Like they showed me mercy in school," Severus scoffed, but quietly.

**Both Black and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.**

**"****You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, who was shaking too. "Do you deny it?"**

**Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor.**

**"****Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord… you have no idea… he has weapons you can't imagine… I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. **

"Then why were you placed in Gryffindor?" Sirius demanded crossly. "I will never understand how that cowardly little rat ended up there."

**I never meant it to happen… He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me —"**

"Yes, because it's so easy to tell someone how to find the very people they want to kill by accident," Tonks said sarcastically.

"You can't force the location out of the Secret-Keeper! They have to give it to someone willingly!" Minerva said angrily. "Otherwise there never would've been a point."

**"****DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"**

**"****He — he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"**

"Only innocent lives!" Sirius said, sounding like a broken record as he clenched his fist, tears in his eyes. "Damn you to the very depths of hell Peter!"

**"****What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Black, with a terrible fury in his face. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"**

**"****You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"**

"So instead, he was willing to have James, Lily, and Harry die instead!" spat Remus in pain and repulsion. Severus flinched as if he had been punched again, but no one noticed this but Albus who was staring sadly at him. Hoping that hearing this would help his friend.

**"****THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"**

Severus frowned. He had always hated Pettigrew. Not just because he was a member of James Potter's little gang of bullies—he could feel his blood boil again—but because he was the reason Lily was dead.

**Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.**

**"****You should have realized," said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."**

**Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.**

**"****NO!" Harry yelled.**

"So he was the one who stopped him?" Minerva asked softly as Sirius and Remus nodded.

"So you mean to tell us," Tonks repeated quietly. "After everything that Wormtail had done to him… The reason that Harry's famous, an orphan, and had to grow up in that terrible house, and have Voldemort constantly going after him… he still saved his life?"

"That sums it up lightly," Remus said.

There was silence in the room as everyone stared at each other, not sure how they were supposed to react. Every single one of them. Some were proud; others were shaking their heads…

"He's much more forgiving than anyone else I ever met," Mad-Eye said with no emotions. "But it's also the very reason he suffers so much more than he has to."

"I like to think he got that from his mother's side," Sirius said with a shrug. "But then again, she at least knew how to hold a grudge."

**He ran forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."**

**Black and Lupin both looked staggered.**

"Of course we were staggered," Sirius said out-loud. "He was the last person I expected to try and protect him."

**"****Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Black snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."**

**"****I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors… He can go to Azkaban… but don't kill him."**

"There's also the fact that Wormtail couldn't testify if you killed him," Kingsley pointed out.

Sirius smiled sheepishly. "Hadn't thought that far ahead, if I'm honest."

**"****Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You — thank you — it's more than I deserve — thank you —"**

"You're damn right it's more than you deserve!" snapped Sirius, his voice cracking the silence like a whip-lash. "A thirteen year old boy has more compassion and loyalty in his little finger than you have in your whole rotten, body, Peter!"

**"****Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because — I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers — just for you."**

"That got me," Remus said softly. "That sounded so much what James would said… it was almost like seeing him again."

**No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Black and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.**

**"****You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," said Black. "But think… think what he did…"**

**"****He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does…"**

"So the dog wasn't the rat after all. And the cat wasn't a rat either… so guess the only rat… was the rat," Tonks said. "Who knew?"

**Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him.**

**"****Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry."**

**Harry hesitated.**

"Don't worry, Harry, you can trust Professor Moony," Tonks grinned with a loving look at Remus who was turning red again now that they were almost done with the chapter.

**"****I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."**

**Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.**

**"****But if you transform, Peter," growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you. You agree, Harry?"**

**Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him.**

"Yeah, make him sweat," Mad-Eye grinned.

**"****Right," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey,**

"And he's not stupid enough to try, unlike another teacher," Molly stated, still thinking of Lockhart and her hatred rose.

**so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."**

**He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.**

**"****That's better," he said. "Thanks."**

"Glad to see that he got over his fear of werewolves quickly," Arthur cheered up, not even noticing that Remus and several others had turned white at the memory of what was going to happen soon.

**"****What about Professor Snape?" said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.**

**"****There's nothing seriously wrong with him," said Lupin, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "You were just a little — overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er — perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safety back in the castle. We can take him like this…"**

Severus growled with a furious look at the two of them. Sirius smiled smugly, as Remus looked apologetic.

**He muttered, "Mobilicorpus." As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. **

Sirius snorted as Severus looked even angrier than before. Sirius stroked his chin and said, "You know? I can see what he was talking about."

"I'm sure that you think you're a big man," Severus said coldly. "But we both know that I could beat you in duel."

"The day that you beat me in a duel, I'll become a Death Eater," Sirius said.

"Is the book over with already?" Mad-Eye said tiredly.

"Just a few more paragraphs," Arthur promised him.

**He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.**

**"****And two of us should be chained to this," said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."**

**"****I'll do it," said Lupin.**

**"****And me," said Ron savagely, limping forward.**

"That's not the best idea," said Kingsley at once. "Ron's injured and a child. Why on earth don't you do it, Sirius? To make sure that he didn't try anything?"

Sirius looked embarrassed. He looked to the floor and muttered so quietly that it was a strain to hear him. "I wanted time to speak to Harry…"

"It's perfectly understandable," Albus retorted immediately in a kind voice. "Harry's your godson, and you haven't seen him in nearly twelve years."

**Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.**

"And that's the end of that chapter," Arthur said in relief. The beginnings of a bad headache was starting.

"Finally," Mad-Eye yawned. "How much longer is this book?"

"Only three chapters from the looks of things," Arthur told him.

"Good," Kingsley said as he stood up. "I need to go back to the office for a minute. But I should be back in about an hour or so?"

"Fine by me," Tonks said as she went back to Buckbeak and proceeded to stroke his feathers. They didn't stay for much longer. Severus took care of his black eye as he and the other teachers went back to the castle for lunch and the others were heading downstairs and Molly began cooking… everyone left the room that is, but Sirius and Remus. They both stayed in their seats… with only Buckbeak for company. Neither one knowing what to say.


	28. Coming to Terms

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 25: Coming to Terms**

_*Sirius and Remus*_

"Moony?" Sirius asked after a few minutes of tense silence. They were both sitting in the drawing room, and could hear the faint sounds of the others in the kitchen below them. Though they barely focused on that… both wondering what the other was going to say.

"Padfoot?" Remus said with a slightly choked up voice. "I just… I wanted… I'm sorry," he finished lamely.

"For what?" Sirius asked in confusion, looking up and was startled to see the look of self-disgust on his old friend's face.

"For not believing you," Remus confessed with his guilt and pain clearly showing in his voice. "Even after everything you did for me, I didn't believe you… and you had to pay the price for that."

"What on earth are you talking about, Remus?" Sirius demanded, now getting angry.

"For thinking that you were the traitor!" he yelled out, gripping his gray hair. "I thought that you betrayed us all! Lily, James, Harry, Peter… even me. And I never once questioned it! And look at this… some random cat had more faith in you than I ever did!"

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but Remus stood up and began pacing the room as he went on. "I sat there for years feeling sorry for myself—not even thinking there was another possibility… that there was something I wasn't seeing…"

"Moony!" Sirius had to yell to make himself heard. "I thought that I was supposed to be the stubborn, hot-headed one!"

"You know what I mean!" Remus called back, "How could I ever have doubted you?"

"But you couldn't have possibly have known that me and Wormtail…" Sirius told him forcefully.

"I should have."

"But you didn't."

"But I should have, Sirius, I should have," Remus whimpered as he fell back onto the cushions and hid his face in his hands. He flinched when he felt Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Professor Moony…" Sirius paused. Remus let the ghost of a smile glimmer over his face then it fell back into the lines of misery. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I'm so sorry that I turned against you so easily. If I had known…"

"But you didn't, did you? No. I don't blame you, nobody blames you, it's not your fault," Sirius whispered to him.

"I should've known that you were innocent!" Remus's face twisted in pain and he looked almost like the wolf that Sirius knew him to become.

"But you didn't," Sirius's voice was strained for the first time.

"I'm sorry."

"Remus it's over. Now shut up about it."

"But…"

"Remus!" Sirius barked out his name, like he always did when the other man got bitter or too pessimistic as if they were back in school. It wasn't a reprimand, it was just a reminder not to beat himself up.

"If anything, it was my fault for not telling you," Sirius said thinking of James and Lily. "I was the one who persuaded them not to tell you anything."

"You just want to take all the blame," Remus smiled.

"Oh, like you don't?" he asked. "The real problem I have now is that I have a godson who insists on doing everyone on his own and risking his life again and again. I mean, I can understand a good prank or two—or putting a toe out of line for a harmless joke once in awhile… but…" Sirius took several deep breaths to calm himself. Why did his godson have to be so damn brave for his own good? He blamed Lily and James for that. The corners of his lips turned into a smile despite the importance of the bigger problem.

"I can't believe how pathetic I am," he said at last.

Remus again shook his head in denial. "You're not pathetic… reckless, yes… pathetic, no."

"Hey," Sirius growled, but didn't sound too angry with him. "I just can't believe that I never noticed this before."

"Sirius, how could you have known?" Remus asked. "Harry doesn't trust easy. And he feels that the few people who he did trust have turned against him."

"But we would never…" Sirius said, his voice cracking slightly but then he realized what he was saying. They had left him at that abusive house for most of his life, and just left him there to fend for himself. In the end he was forced to take care of himself so he wasn't too surprised that Harry had so much trouble asking for help when he was used to being on his own.

But rather than say that out loud he looked at him and asked, "You mind telling me what you're talking about old man?"

Remus smirked a bit at that. "When was the last time you looked in the mirror? I'm not the only one whose hair is gray."

"Can you blame me after reading these blasted books?" Sirius asked him as he ran his hand through his hair grimly. They shared a brief smile before getting serious again. "You don't need to do anything more, Sirius. You know that right?"

Sirius frowned at him. "And you mind telling me what you mean by that?"

"Just being here for him is more than enough for Harry," Remus continued simply.

"But I wasn't there…" Sirius started but was cut off almost at once.

"So you weren't there for twelve years," Remus said gloomily. "Neither was I! Nor anyone else. Of course Harry is going to have a lot of trust issues. I think both of us are going to have a lot to answer to when we die and meet up with Lily…" he shuddered at the idea of how angry Lily would be if she knew how her precious 'Sun and Stars' had been treated for so long. "But just as long as we're here for him _now _Sirius, is enough. We have a lot to do to try to convince Harry that we care about him… but we're making a start."

Sirius nodded grudgingly. "I'll give you that. It's just that I care about him more than anything. He was the only thing that kept me going all those years. Just the idea that he was safe and happy was enough to keep me going. But now I know that's far from the truth. He was never happy or safe. Safe from Voldemort and his supporters, yes… but not safe from those bastards who dare call themselves parents." He growled furiously at the thought of the Dursleys. "And mark my words I'm going to make them pay tenfold for every little hurt they did to him."

Remus nodded. "I know you will. But until we get your name cleared, I'm afraid that you might have to wait a little longer."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But at least it gives me more time to plan something truly horrific for them. Hey, did you know when James asked me to be godfather I was a nervous wreck?" he finally confided in his oldest friend.

Remus looked up at him in surprise. Sirius was the last person he would have thought to be nervous or afraid… especially of a new addition. Amazing what the idea of a baby could do to some people. "Really? But you never said anything…?"

Sirius snorted in amusement. "Well, of course I wasn't going to say anything. I was always the laid back and fun one. Still am by the way," he couldn't help but add and Remus smiled half-heartedly. "But yes I nearly had a nervous breakdown when I found out. When James and Lily first told us they were going to have a baby I'm going to admit I was upset at first, because I didn't want anything to change between us. But once I held that little bundle with black hair in my arms for the first time, I couldn't imagine how we ever gotten along without that baby. But I grew up in a rotten household with parents who couldn't care less what happened to their kids so long as they upheld the family tradition of degrading others and I couldn't help but feel like I was going to make a lot of mistakes helping to raise him and somehow mess up his life."

'_And I had ever right to worry. I am responsible for ruining his life,'_ he added to himself bitterly, not daring to say that to Remus.

"But when James invited me to live with him after I ran away from home… He showed me how a family is supposed to take care of each other. Like the Weasleys… Harry didn't deserve a household like mine, but he keeps it quiet, because he's like that."

"He's stubborn," Remus nodded. "And proud. And it doesn't help that he still has a lot of trouble believing that he deserves to be happy. Everyone who knows him can't help but care about him as much as possible—almost everyone in the Order and plenty out do care." Remus was careful to avoid Severus, "And it's not just because he's the Boy-Who-Lived. There's something about him that just earns admirers and friends without even trying. But Harry just doesn't understand that there are people here who want to take care of him and protect him. I didn't even realized how bad the Dursleys were because he seemed so calm about it—I thought it was the normal situation with a boy who fought with his family like any other teenager. But that's far from the truth."

"Kids…" Sirius muttered hopelessly.

Remus laughed again, "All parents must feel that way about their children. Well, some parents anyway. Others couldn't give care less what happens to their children and let them do whatever they want."

Sirius let out a huff of breath. Whatever became of his world,_ nothing_ could ever take away from him loving Harry. He was just afraid of messing up and ruining his life even more if that was possible. He wished more than anything that James and Lily were here in place of him making these tough choices. Being godfather's easy if the parents are still there. You're supposed to be the fun, cool part of a kid's life—drop in your advice whenever you think they need it before dumping the final decision on the parents. He wished that Harry would use the mirror already… what was taking him so long? He wanted to talk to the boy… he felt that he was going to burst if he didn't get all this off his chest.

And then there was Dumbledore… Sirius never thought that the Headmaster was so manipulative until he was shown a new side of him thanks to these books. He couldn't help but blame the old man for dumping that poor kid on the Dursleys' doorstep fourteen years ago and just forgot about him. Stuffed him out of sight as if he wasn't important. Dumbledore had said he wanted Harry to be happy; he said he had wanted him to have a normal childhood away from his fame and the responsibly of the wizarding world, but if he had really wanted that, then why didn't he ever thought to check on him? Albus could've easily come out once in awhile to check up on him. Just once or twice every couple of weeks…

So what was the problem? He had a school to run, but he could have checked up on him on the weekends for even just a few minutes or even during the holidays, and then there was the entire summer. If nothing else, at least send letters to the family to make sure that they were at least trying to care for him right. It's almost like the old man lost interest about taking care of the teen. Every time he or anyone else brought up Harry's name, Dumbledore changed the subject. He didn't know what to think of the Headmaster anymore. While it was true that he was grateful for things that he had done for him and Remus in the past… but at the same time, he couldn't figure out the man's motives… and blame him for everything.

As if he knew what thinking, Remus smiled sadly. "Dumbledore must have a good reason…"

"Is that supposed to be comforting to me?" he asked grumpily.

Remus chuckled. "Sorry, I suppose it isn't helping, is it? But still, despite his faults, you _know_ Dumbledore does care about Harry…"

"Yeah, I'll bet," scoffed Sirius.

Remus sighed. "Despite his motives, as long as he keeps Harry at Hogwarts, then that's all I can ask for. Harry needs to be there, Padfoot, he needs to learn how to defend himself."

Sirius snorted again. "With Umbridge for a teacher? I highly doubt that. You heard the way that the teachers all talk about her! And let's not forget that the Ministry's terrified of Dumbledore, I wouldn't be surprised if they sat around reading some rubbish out of a book every lesson."

"Well then, we could try to help him…" Remus offered.

"How?" Sirius demanded almost desperately.

"We could teach him the spells here, and then let him practice at Hogwarts…?" Remus offered but Sirius rejected that thought at once.

"How are we going to do that?" he barked. "He's at school and we're here. We can't even write to him without that miserable toad there watching the letters. Besides, just telling him about the spells isn't enough."

"Like wanting to kill Dumbledore would help things," Remus reminded him. But it wasn't in a scolding or angry way. It was just a fact.

"He'd deserve it," Sirius snapped. "Look at what he allows to happen to my godson! He lets them go through dangers on their own. Not even bothering to ask for an explanation!"

"You actually sound responsible here," Remus said with a grimace.

"I'm no expert when it comes to raising kids," uttered Sirius fiercely, "But I just can't stand the thought of a bunch of kids fighting in a war—doing more to fight against Voldemort than the adults who are supposed to protect them! They're kids! They shouldn't be involved in this living hell in the first place—but their damn Headmaster lets them do what they will," added Sirius. "I can't help but blame Dumbledore for everything that's happened…"

"I know," said Remus with a cheerless look on his face. "We've all trusted that Dumbledore knew what he was doing, but now it's as if we are all slapped awake. You have every right to be angry with him."

"It's more than that," admitted Sirius after a slight pause. "I mean, why didn't he ever think about making sure he was treated right?! Those ten years stuck with those Dursleys! What would he have done if they did worse to him than what they did?! He let them fight trolls and Voldemort in their first year! Second year they were forced to go into the Chamber of Secrets and kill an effing Basilisk! And these days, it's as if he couldn't care less about what happened to Harry. Even knowing all that, you tell me that he cares about what happens to my godson?"

Watching him, Remus nodded slowly. "You hate Dumbledore. You're angry and feeling betrayed… you have every reason to."

"You got that right," said Sirius, getting up quickly.

"Sirius, don't do anything rash," began Remus worriedly, but Sirius waved him off.

"I'm not going anywhere, Moony," said Sirius, starting to pace. Remus followed him with his eyes. "I'm greatly tempted to send the old man a curse in the post, and visiting the Dursleys to have a few choice words with them… but I won't. At least not yet."

"Just making sure, Padfoot," said Remus, smiling sadly.

"I'm not going to do anything to put me at risk, Remus," said Sirius, voice quiet. _'But God, I hope that I'll get a chance…'_

"As for Dumbledore not caring, I honestly don't know what's going on in that mind of his," Remus went on. "But I do believe he cares for Harry's happiness and safety, but he's also trying to prepare him for Voldemort at the same time. I think that there are better ways of going about it rather than letting Harry figure everything out on his own, but I do think he does care for him. But at the same time, Dumbledore has to think of the war, because he's the leader against Voldemort and the only one who has any idea how to fight him. Using Harry like a tool is wrong—and I truly hate him for doing this—but he has to do what's best for everyone, and I think he thought he was doing the right thing."

"By leaving him to suffer at the Dursleys?" said Sirius, harshly.

"That I don't have an answer for; I was actually talking more about what he allows those kids to do at Hogwarts. I honestly don't know what he was thinking in not checking up on him himself. But I doubt Arabella knew what was really going on in that house; and Harry's to proud not to show anyone any forms of abuse." Seeing the angry look on Sirius's face he added, "But we will get our chance to talk to Dumbledore about this, Padfoot. We'll give him a chance to explain. And we'll see what he has to say about it."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before they both got up and headed down the stairs for lunch as well—though neither one was very hungry. But there was someone already there waiting for them.

"Sirius?" it was Molly. "I wanted to talk to you real quick?"

_*Albus and Severus*_

It was early in the afternoon by the time that the three teachers finally arrived back at the castle before anyone could miss them. The first thing they saw was Umbridge standing in the doorways to the great hall, demanding that they all the students turn out their pockets as they went in. The three teachers knew right away that she was still looking for anyone carrying an article of the Quibbler.

They watched as a pair of fourth years boys pull out several sheets of parchment, had Umbridge examine it, and then let them pass grudgingly. Completely unfazed, Minerva walked right passed her with her head held up high, not even bothering spare her a glance. Umbridge looked even grumpier and more toad-like than ever as she followed Minerva into the Hall. Severus made to follow as well, when Albus held out his hand to stop him and said in a hard voice. "Severus… I would like a word with you in private please."

He said that in such a tone that Severus knew that there was chance of getting out of it. Severus squirmed and nodded once as he strode past him and into the Hall.

Albus, who had decided not to go to lunch, headed up the stairs and intended to go straight to his office. But as he neared the top of the staircase, he saw the very last person that he wanted to see at the moment. The 'trio' was coming down the hallway. He quickly ducked behind a tapestry where he knew the boy wouldn't be able to see him and didn't move a muscle until he was sure that all three of them went past. Once he was sure that he was alone, Albus put a hand over his eyes, trying in vain to hide his feelings. He hated what he had to do—keeping Harry in the dark about everything.

Albus knew he should tell the boy the truth while he had a chance, tell him everything, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so—the boy was so young after all!

_'Not so young,'_ his conscience reminded him. _'Look at everything he'd done. And you haven't even read about last year.'_

He put his head in his hands. No, Harry Potter wasn't so young anymore. Had he ever _really_ been young? Sure, the boy had looked young—still does, in fact—far too much so, in Albus' opinion.

But is this right anymore?

He asked himself this every day, every time he saw that face. The haunted look in his eyes was almost too much to bear. That boy was too good for what he was doing to him. The dreaded words of the prophecy replayed in his head, "_And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…_"

Albus kept repeating to himself he is too young even though he has faced more things than many other wizards have ever even dreamed of. And with Fudge refusing to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, it's only made things more difficult. Albus knew there would be a challenge to gain members for the Order of the Phoenix. And when he sent Harry back to the Dursleys his heart ached, when he looked into his eyes, for he knew that it would be the last time for a long time, his usual bright and content green eyes were dull and lifeless. He couldn't risk Harry's safety by continuing to stay close to the boy; he knew he needed to distance himself from him, less temptation for Tom if he thought that Albus thought of Harry as just a regular student.

He could lie to Tom, he could lie to Harry, he could lie to everyone in the castle and even to the rest of the world, but he could not lie to himself. It may be dangerous, but he couldn't help it, that boy wormed his way into his heart unintentionally.

He remembered telling Miss Granger and Mr. Ronald Weasley that they must promise not to say anything to Harry about anything they might hear while they were in the Headquarters. It was agonizing to look into their young faces, and see the utter confusion. And he knew Harry would react even worse. He explained why again until Ronald was furious and Miss Granger was nearly in tears, no doubt worried sick over their friend.

At first the two kept refusing, but when he told them it would help Harry by giving him some peace from the war, they gave in and conceded. One of the worst moments in his life was when he heard about the Dementors coming after Harry.

Before he went to Grimmauld Place (and strangle Mundungus Fletcher), he sent the Howler to Petunia Dursley, reminding her of what she promised to do, to keep the future savior of the wizarding world safe. Savior… that's how it started. There was this young child that could save the world; so Albus had to keep an eye on him. But Harry wasn't a tool to him. That's all Albus wished he was… and maybe at the beginning he was. But somewhere along the way, things had changed.

He was able to get to the Ministry in time and was able to get Harry a trial, the terrible weight inside him seemed to lesson at that. Almost everyone in the Order wanted to be there to get Harry, including himself, but he couldn't… he had to stay away from him. But when he heard Harry got there safely, he felt as if the weight on his shoulders was lifted; he was worried that something would go wrong.

He remembered showing up at the Ministry extra early knowing Fudge would try and make sure he couldn't help Harry. Oh, how Albus wanted to tell the boy that he would make sure everything would be alright—everything from the horrid papers dragging both of their names through the mud to this entire war. But he couldn't. All he could do was keep him safe from one thing and that was himself. When he won his trial Albus rushed it out of there ignoring Arthur and Harry's voice calling out.

'_Was it concern or fear?'_ he thought to himself.

His own fear of confronting the teen? Is it really that he was afraid that if he had to speak to him, he'll finally have to reveal to the horrible truth of the prophecy? That he selfishly didn't want the boy to be so weighed down by the pressures of that, despite the fact that he knew that in the end it might hurt him worse by keeping it quiet? However it wasn't just his fear of Voldemort that kept him from speaking to him. It is his fear of causing him pain. A child who have already had so much… It is almost unthinkable about the pain he will almost certainly face in the upcoming war.

Albus also feared his rage at him. He knew that Harry knew that he was avoiding him. It is unavoidable that he would be angry at him for not giving him any information about what was happening. It is a ridiculous fear, for its unavoidable that someday his will have to learn about the prophecy in order to fight Voldemort. Albus knew Harry will be able to handle it.

'_He'll have to,'_ he told himself as he finally left his hiding place and headed back to his office. It's _him_ who cannot handle it.

He'd been waiting in his office for about 10 minutes until he heard the familiar knock on his door. Not even being able to call out to enter, Severus came in.

"You called for me, Dumbledore?" he asked. Though Severus knew he was about to get told off for how he treated Potter. It was always about Potter after all…

Severus was forced to look at James Potter's face every day… staring back at him with Lily Evans's eyes. The eyes that had once looked past his large, second-hand clothes, his insecurities and faults to find that he had craved for a friend… Lily returned that desire for a friend just as greatly. But now whenever he was forced to look into those bright green almond shaped eyes all he saw was hatred and distrust. They were a living reminder of what his choices had cost him. He chose power that he craved to use against others, over the love of a friend that meant more to him than anything.

Severus had agreed all those years ago to help Dumbledore protect Lily's son. Not a day went by that he didn't think of Lily. His thoughts of her and that alone always brought a sense of worthwhile to him, but then soon it would be followed by regret and a pain so strong that he felt as though he was being torn apart from the inside out. It was for that reason alone, that he was helping to protect her son. To him it was the only way he could redeem himself in her eyes… in only in her memory.

"How could you wish that he was dead Severus?" Albus asked softly, interrupting his thoughts. "How can you blame a child for something that he wasn't involved in? To actually wish that a teenage boy was killed?"

Severus stared at the floor keeping his face impassive. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to speak Albus sighed.

"I wonder if you realize that you are more alike with young Harry than you think," he asked. "If I recall correctly, you and James spent most of your time trying to get back at each other. Neither one of you were innocent. And I certainly don't recall either of you reporting anything to me and therefore I wasn't able to help but a stop to it. I can't see how you couldn't care about another child being hurt like that. No matter how much you hate them, you shouldn't continue to be so hateful to the children. You certainly didn't like being bullied and picked on when you were a child… why do you do the same to your students?"

"Why are you always so determined to lecture and tell me off?" Severus demanded.

"Severus," Albus sighed wearily. "Listen to yourself. You sound almost exactly as you did back when _you_ were a child. You're still trying to blame James and Remus for what happened. This is exactly a terrible flaw with you, Severus. You are still a child in many ways and not only do you not want to let go of your past, but you refuse to do so. In a way, the castle here reminds me of your heart. A strong object that surrounds itself with barriers and walls… it's not an excuse."

"They all got away with almost killing me! You never punished them…" Severus almost yelled, before he realized how childish he did sound.

"Got away?" Albus asked sadly, staring at him hard. "How could they? Look at what has happened to them all. While you have suffered greatly Severus, you were safe here in the school that you love so dearly. But look at how they all suffered… James is dead, Sirius was imprisoned in Azkaban for a crime he didn't do, Remus had spent so many years alone—struggling to find work and Peter Pettigrew was forced to hide in fear as a rat. And here we have you… tormenting a child who had nothing to do with any of that. Why?" Albus asked him in an almost earnest way. "Haven't they all paid enough? Hasn't Harry suffered enough for what his father had done to you?"

Severus glared at him… but felt a tinge of shame.

"Severus," Albus said, folding his hands together. "I know that it is fruitless to attempt to change your mind about Harry. I have finally realized that you are never going to change your treatment of him… However I know that Harry can at least hold his own against you; he can stand up to you which isn't easy for most of your students. Harry is a remarkable boy—this is the truth, even if you don't see that Severus."

Severus turned away and headed straight to the door, but Albus said, "And what excuse do you have for treating the rest of the students the way you do Severus? Neville Longbottom has such a gift in Herbology, and I think that by all accounts he could learn to be an excellent potioneer with the right patience and understanding. But his fear of you is preventing him from learning. As is most of your other students when you humiliate and bully them."

And then there's Hermione Granger… Severus you know as well as I do how talented that girl is. And you had no right to take points away just for knowing the answer, or resort to name-calling like a child. It is our job as professors to encourage students to want to learn and to reward them for knowing the answers, not to punish and degrade them for knowing them. Severus… I wish I could help you, but unless you learn to let go of this bitterness, learn to forgive and…"

Snape snapped his head up to glare at him. Forgive? He might've just asked him to drink his own poisons.

Albus sighed again. "Severus, I don't know how many times we have to discuss this… but I am asking you to learn to see what you have. I won't make you go back to Grimmauld place. You are free to come if you wish. All I ask is that you stop looking for someone to take your revenge on. What more could you want from them, Severus? What more could they possibly sacrifice for you to be satisfied?"

Severus left after that—not wanting to hear anymore. He knew that everything he read so far was far from the life he had imagined Potter to have had. Since he had arrived at Hogwarts, Potter had given him nothing but the impression that he enjoyed the attention he received. Fame had clearly gone to his head and he wanted nothing more than to continue on with it.

That, however, wasn't what he heard.

Petunia… was nowhere near as kind and compassionate as her sister had been. During the holidays he'd spent back at Spinner's End he lost count of the many times when Lily would come to him, sobbing her heart out because her only sister didn't want anything to do with her. Petunia no longer wanted to acknowledge that she had a little sister. It was always _him_ who had comforted her and told her that it would be alright. Petunia had let her jealousy rule her life so was it really that difficult for Severus to believe that she was capable of doing such a thing to her only nephew… Lily's son.

An inner battle was playing inside his mind. Any child of Lily Evans would never be normal in that sense. Yet Potter was just as determined to break rules as his father had been. While Dumbledore had deluded himself into believing Potter was like Lily, but he knew better.

Didn't he?

While he has Lily's eyes. The beautiful emerald green eyes that he had loved on Lily resided on Potter. Out of everything he could have inherited why was it her eyes he had? Those eyes that he had loved so much lived on… the final living piece of Lily Evans.

He shook his head. No, he wouldn't allow himself to feel any pity or to care about anyone anymore. He still had a job to do. He had managed this far without feeling a thing for others. And he knew that he had to continue. Life was hard for everyone—Potter wasn't anything special. Potter may have to suffer but that was the price that needed to be paid to keep him alive.

_*Sirius and Molly*_

Molly and Sirius were both standing alone in the hallway, Remus had wanted to stay to make sure that the two of them wouldn't kill each other. But seeing the determined looks on their faces, knew that it would be in his best interests to leave. But he would keep his ears on high alert… the second he heard crashing sounds; he would know that they had cracked and had started dueling.

Once they were alone, Sirius took several lengthy strides and began to pace up and down the hall.

Molly frowned to herself thinking of what she wanted to say. She was not proud of the many things she had said before and she wanted to apologize to Sirius… but she couldn't help but think there was some truth in her words. She knew she wasn't the only one that cared about Harry, but couldn't they see that this was dangerous information! The kids shouldn't have to think of things like that! There was a war raging on outside these walls, and she could only pray her family would come out of it unscathed.

"Sirius…" she trailed off uncertainly when his grey eyes looked at her. She took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. Sirius, I can't say how sorry I am. I had no right to say any of those things to her… and I know now that it's not true." A small sob escaped her throat, but Sirius could only blink in astonishment. "You didn't deserve Azkaban, you're a good man," she hesitated, "And a great godfather." There was shock on Sirius's face, but Molly finished quickly:

"I was always so bitter with you and I never really thought about everything you went through," Molly said through her tears. "I'm sorry. And thank you so much for being there for him. And not just for Harry but for Ron and Hermione too."

To say that Sirius was shocked would be an understatement. He knew how irresponsible Molly thought he was, and for her to say that she thought Sirius was a good godfather for Harry was a very big thing. She considered Harry like another son, and was equally as protective over him as her own children but it meant so much to him for her to finally recognized that Sirius cared for Harry like a son too, and would never let anything harm him if he couldn't help it.

"Well," he said at last. "You did think I was a traitor and a murderer." He snorted inwardly. Yet he couldn't bring himself to be harsh to Molly. She was apologizing to him after all, and despite her bluster and mothering, Sirius owed her a great deal for treating Harry so well for his first four years at Hogwarts.

They both stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few long minutes before he asked, almost afraid to know the answer, "Did you know Harry was being abused?"

"Don't be ridiculous! If I did, don't you think I would have mentioned something?"

Sirius responded, "Aren't you the one who's always complaining he's too thin? Surely you must have realized there was a valid reason for that."

Despite the remorse building inside the red-head, anger also flared. How was she meant to know that it had been the truth? How could anyone expect such a sweet and polite child to have suffered abuse all this time? How was she to know? Really, how could anyone have done that to a child? It didn't matter how much magic Harry possessed, he had been a small child. A twelve-year-old child for Merlin's sake. He needed to be loved. Neither one of them had no idea how the Dursley's managed to sleep each night knowing the misery they were causing.

Sirius began to pace once again; Molly's eyes following his every move.

"Not a day has gone by in fourteen years where I haven't regretted my actions that night," he continued, his voice full of anguish. "Not for myself, but for Harry. Don't you think I know that it's all my fault everything that he's been through."

Molly sighed heavily, taking a hesitant step toward the man. "Sirius, I -"

Sirius ignored her. He needed to get this off his chest before it killed him.

"Twelve years in Azkaban would have most begging for death, but not me. I didn't die… I couldn't die yet. I had Harry to keep me sane, knowing that he would be safe with his relatives. Yet he wasn't. People who were meant to care and protect him had failed him. All this time… and I never knew."

The Animagus sighed, stopping his pacing once again to face the red-head. The pain in his voice was mirrored in the features on his face.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Molly said. "I just don't want anything to happen to him."

"None of us do, Molly," Sirius said with no emotion in his voice. "But you aren't his mother, Molly."

She crossed her arms and said firmly, "And _you're_ not his father, Sirius."

"I'm—" Sirius began hotly.

"You're _not_ his _father_," she said still firm. "I realize that James and Lily named you his godfather and, I'm sorry for saying this, but you know very little about him. At least before we found the books anyway. You haven't seen each other in years, and even now you've had very little contact with him. And he's not like James, not at all. Harry is very different from what his father was as a teenager. Sometimes, Sirius, I think you're hoping things will be the same with Harry as they were with James."

Molly felt bad for saying these things, but she felt she had to say them. She knew that Harry needed a father-figure—now more than ever. And she also knew that he that there were only three possible people who could even begin to fill that role for him… Dumbledore, Arthur, and Sirius. But with the way things were happening, she was unsure about all three of them.

Dumbledore… she was well-aware that it must've hurt Dumbledore as well as Harry to stay away from him. Harry had looked up to Dumbledore since he first started Hogwarts. During his first year alone he had developed a closer bond with the Headmaster than all three of the Dursleys combined. She knew full well that Dumbledore had been avoiding Harry all year and that was just bringing another worry to her ever growing list. She understood his reasons of course… but it didn't make them any easier. As for Arthur—while he loved Harry as if he were another one of their sons… it wasn't the same thing. She knew that Arthur felt he would be trying to take James's place and he didn't want to do that.

And lastly there was Sirius… since she first met him; she was unsure what to think of him. She could see that he loved Harry dearly… but the way that he talked about his godson, there were a few times she noticed that he had to almost stop and remind himself that it wasn't James he was talking about. It was almost as if he _wanted_ Harry to be James—or at the least got confuse which was which. While she understood how painful it had to have been for Sirius to miss his best friend, it wasn't healthy for either of them. The worst part was that when Harry was here it looked to her as if he was trying to be like James for Sirius. But Harry didn't need another best friend like that. The boy craved and needed a father.

Molly took a deep breath and went on, "I know you care for Harry. You want to keep him safe just as I do. But I also worry about what he could do if he ever found out the truth. His parents were killed, he's seen a classmate murdered in front of him, and he's involved with this war whether we like it or not. If he was ever given the chance, you know as well I do that he'd gladly hunt down Voldemort. If he knew all that was happening, he'd leave school right now and join the Order. I don't like it any more that you do, trust me, but that's the way it is."

Sirius snorted. "That just proves he's brave."

"It proves he's young and reckless. It's something you would do, something James would do. It's dangerous and he doesn't need that," Molly almost whimpered.

"Don't you think I know that?" he demanded. "I'm willing to do anything to protect my godson, but us keeping quiet about this is just making it harder to do that. I don't want to tell Harry about the prophecy. But when I was appointed his godfather, I vowed to protect him. I know I've done a terrible job of it so far, but I'm here now, and I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. Not that I can," he added grimly glaring around at the hallway. "Harry needs me as much as I need him, but his trust only goes so far. Look at how much he's kept from all of us! I never thought I would have to consider my godson was ever an abused child. Harry needs, no deserves, so much more than that. He needs to know that he can trust others!"

Gazing intently at each other, Molly's resolve softened slightly. With everything that had happened already it was easy to forget that Sirius was like Harry, forced to up quickly, in the midst of a war. If there was anyone who could relate to Harry, it would be his godfather.

They were both silent, Sirius and Molly avoided looking at each other. Finally, Molly asked something that had been bothering her for a long time. "Sirius? When you look at Harry… who do you see?"

Sirius was surprised by the question and had no idea how to answer. He thought it over carefully, Molly waiting in silence until…

"Sometimes I see the little boy that I used to play hide-and-seek with," he answered truthfully. "But most of the time I see someone who's used to suffering. Someone who's used to hardships and isn't afraid to risk everything… that scares me. And I can't deny that there are some times I see James and I forget that it's his son I'm thinking about. He's like them so much… but that's just as frightening."

It felt strange telling all this to Molly, but he needed to say this.

"James was my best friend, and I can't deny that it's easier to forget the bad times like that… I forget that James is dead and I haven't spent years trapped in Azkaban. I don't mean to treat him like that… it's not like I think he's not his own person!" He held up his hands in an almost helpless sort of way and said, "I just don't know anymore."

"Sirius…" she tried again, reaching out to place a hand on the man's shoulders. He flinched away from her touch. "I am sorry," she continued, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "I—I just need you to understand that had I known what was going on in that house, I would never had allowed Harry to set anywhere near Privet Drive. I love him like a son, and now I can see that you do too. But he's not James, he's Harry, and I never should have said those things to you back last the summer. Actually, there's quite a bit I shouldn't have said to you. I'm sorry."

Sirius ran a nervous hand over his face, brushing the hair out of his eyes. "Harry needs someone to trust, and I want that person to be me, I know it's selfish considering I get him confused with his father at times. So far, all the adults in his life have failed him, including you and me. You seem to think that just because you love him like a son that you know what's best for him. Maybe you do… maybe you don't… I don't have the slightest idea how to deal with kids."

He knew that he'd failed Harry. Just as Molly, Dumbledore, and pretty much every adult that was in his godson's life. How many more people were going to do the same? Sirius's chest was heaving as soon as his rant was finished. His jaw was set as he said, "But… maybe the next time Fred and George talk about opening a joke shop, you should let them."

After another minute of silence, he couldn't help but groan, "But my godson is mental!" He went over every bit of danger in his mind. A troll, Voldemort in the forest, Fluffy, a Basilisk… a Basilisk, for Merlin's sake…

"I have to agree with that," Molly choked out breathlessly, guessing what he was thinking about. Her brown eyes brimmed with tears over again at the description of Ginny when Harry had found her in the Chamber. She would be forever grateful to Harry that he had saved her little girl, but he was just a boy himself. Why was it always up to him to save the day? The teachers were meant to protect the students in the school and yet they hadn't that year. Not very well, anyhow.

"When he went down into the Chamber to save Ginny…" Sirius began with a laugh. "It sounded like something James would've done. James would've crawled over broken shards of glass and faced a hundred Basilisks if it was for Lily. I see that there's one more thing he got from his parents."

Molly laughed at that. "He's the perfect gentleman."

"Cute couple they make don't they?" Sirius teased her with a grin. "Harry's young… but once he grows up a little more, he's going to be needing a girl."

"And you would love that wouldn't you?" Molly asked with her eyebrows raised. "Remus told me that you were quite the heart-breaker in school."

Sirius grinned even wider. "Believe it or not, I once had a good-looking mug before this," he gestured to his wasted face.

She laughed, a smile spreading over her own features. "I only hope that he doesn't get dating advice from you."

"Well," Sirius shrugged. "He's only fifteen. But it's only going to be a matter of time before some girl catches his eye. She's got to have a pretty face… but he needs a type of girl who sweet—but can snap a bone when she needs to."

They both laughed a little at that before they fell back into a strong silence again.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said thinking about all the fighting they've done. "I'm just so scared that one day I… I might…"

"Lose him?" Molly offered softly.

"Yeah," Sirius said as he felt tears come to his eyes before blinking them away. _'Merlin, this is getting ridiculous. Crying over every little thing…?'_

"I understand," Molly said sadly. "Believe me I do. I have nightmares all the time. I dream about seeing them fighting and…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"Look, I'm grateful for how kind you've been to Harry," Sirius stated uncomfortably. "But now I'm here for him. You have seven kids… can't you leave one for me?"

Molly let the tears fall. She didn't say a word to him as he passed. But then…

"So…" Sirius said suddenly. "We on the same page now?"

She thought it over. "I think… we're like oil and vinegar. We work well together, but we don't mix well."

He snorted as he headed back down the stairs, a slight smile on both of their faces.

_*Normal*_

They all had a good party that afternoon, they ate and talk about pointless and silly things while Tonks changed into waist-length auburn hair. They sat around the table drinking Butterbeer until the three teachers finally came back, a little later than usual. Albus and Minerva both said that they had to hurry, and Snape said something about only being here because he didn't think he could stand being stuck with Umbridge any longer. But Sirius couldn't help but notice that there was something different about him. Snpae didn't seem to bother himself with throwing an insult at him, and just ignored Sirius as if he thought that he wasn't here. Not that he was complaining… but what was going on?

After a couple more rounds of Butterbeer, all of them trouped back to the room to finish up the third book… Kingsley picked it up, found the page they left off, read the chapter name before he said out loud, "I think… it would be a good idea for some people to have a Calming Draught, if there is any on hand."

Molly nodded as she reached for her bag and pulled several out several vials. "After the last book, I thought that they would be good to keep on hand. Especially, since the closer we get to the end of one of them, the more dangerous things seem to get."

"That's fine," her husband assured her, placing a comforting hand on her back as she took a big gulp. He then looked at the others. "Would anyone else here like one?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Almost everyone else shook their heads. Minerva spoke up, "I think that we're good. The anticipation is worse than anything."

"Sirius?" Remus asked him worriedly. "Perhaps you should…?"

"No," he said waving off the potion. "But you might have to hang on to one for me before the chapter is over." He had a good idea to what was about to happen, but he didn't want to think about it.

"Maybe… we should continue reading," Tonks suggested softly as she glanced back at Buckbeak who was awake and enjoying a meal of dead rats that Sirius had brought up for him.

"If you insist," Kingsley said as he cleared his throat and read out, "**Chapter 20:** **The Dementor's Kiss**."


	29. The Dementor's Kiss

******(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 26: The Dementor's Kiss**

"If you insist," Kingsley said as he cleared his throat and read out, "**Chapter 20:** **The Dementor's Kiss**."

Everyone shivered at the title name, especially Sirius who suddenly looked like a ghost. Molly and Minerva had raised their hands to their mouths to stifle gasps, while Arthurs's eyes went wide with horror. Kingsley, too, paled dramatically, and Remus, almost as white as Sirius, laid a hand on Sirius' shoulder in silent support. It was as if he couldn't trust his own voice to say anything without it coming out as anything but a squeak.

"What is this about?" Tonks demanded. "Who gets _Kissed_?"

"No one," Albus assured her gently. "But I think that we should leave that up to the book to tell us."

Anxious, Kingsley read the next paragraph, perhaps a little more quickly than necessary.

**Harry had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. **

"That might not have been the smartest idea, to leave Sirius in charge of that," Tonks said, smiling slightly as Severus barred his teeth. Sirius just whistled to himself in an innocent tone that deceived no one.

**Harry and Hermione brought up the rear.**

**Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Harry went right after Black, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. Harry had the impression Black was making no effort to prevent this.**

"Oh, really?" Severus asked through gritted teeth and a dark glare at Sirius who was trying his best not to smile—and falling horribly.

"Well," he answered unabashed, "I'm sure you'd do the same thing if it were me. And it's not like I go out of my way to hide my dislike for you."

"Of course," Severus said drily, as Sirius leaned back in his seat and was smiling lightly, as if enjoying the memory.

Remus chuckled before he leaned over to Tonks and whispered, "How much to you want to bet that he was making it happen in the first place?"

"No need to bet," she answered back grinning. "You'd be wasting your money to bet against that."

**"****You know what this means?" Black said abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"**

**"****You're free," said Harry.**

"I wish," Sirius said, coming back from his happy memory and looking sulky again.

**"Yes…" said Black. "But I'm also — I don't know if anyone ever told you — I'm your godfather."**

"Well," Mad-Eye said coolly. "Despite the fact that no one tells kids anything useful these days; they always manage to find out somehow."

Catching on to what Sirius wanted to ask, Arthur looked over at him. "Are you asking what I think you're asking, Sirius?" he asked with a smile.

Smiling in return, he asked innocently, "Not sure what you're you talking about?"

**"****Yeah, I knew that," said Harry.**

**"****Well… your parents appointed me your guardian," said Black stiffly. "If anything happened to them…"**

Severus was sneering at those words. He still strongly suspected that James Potter confounded Lily when they agreed to make Black a godfather.

"You were going to ask him to live with you?" Tonks asked in sad happiness, knowing that it didn't happen.

"Of course, it was the least I could do," Sirius replied, his voice suddenly rather thick, "After missing out on twelve years with him, I wanted to at least offer him a home if he ever needed it." His face hardened rapidly, "Although I had no idea how bad things were with those damn Dursleys. But since _I'm his rightful guardian, appointed by his parents_," he said this part loudly with a fierce glare at Dumbledore. "He shouldn't have to live with the Dursleys."

Albus avoided Sirius' angry glance, he knew that even if Sirius had been free, Harry would have to stay where he could be protected the most. As much as he Sirius cared for Harry, the boy's safety had to come before anything else. He did not say this out-loud however, knowing that one more word about the Dursleys would probably push Sirius over the edge.

**Harry waited. Did Black mean what he thought he meant?**

Remus nodded remembering that conversation. Though he hadn't meant to overhear them as they made their way up to the castle, his sharp hearing had picked up every word those two had been saying, and he had to fight back not to turn around and smile back at them.

Everyone else however, remembered that things didn't turn out that way. They hadn't forgotten the chapter title and then there was Harry's terrible luck working against them… that piece of bad luck wasn't going to let him have this. But they all knew that no one was _Kissed_ that night… so then why was this chapter called the _Dementor's Kiss_?

**"****I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Black. "But… well… think about it. Once my name's cleared… if you wanted a… a different home…"**

**Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Harry's stomach.**

**"****What — live with you?" he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. "Leave the Dursleys?"**

Albus's eyebrows came together in sadness; wishing that he could've let the child leave… but…

**"****Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd —"**

"I can't believe I thought he wouldn't take me up on that offer," Sirius laughed to himself.

"You really have gone mad if you thought that," Remus smiled at his old friend.

"You really are mental aren't you?" Tonks asked him unable to stop herself. "You weren't serious, were you? And don't you dare use that joke!" she warned quickly, as her cousin opened his mouth to reply. "Why wouldn't he want to go live with you? He hated living at the Dursleys!"

"I didn't know how bad the Dursleys were or that they were evil gits," Sirius said defensively. "Plus, in case you all forgot, Harry thought that I was a mass murderer trying to kill him not half an hour ago. And then there was that little problem of him wanting to kill me…?"

"Well, that was back when he though you killed his parents," Arthur pointed out to him. "Now that he knows the truth, you are the connection to his parents that he'd never known."

**"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black's. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"**

"Someone's a bit eager, isn't he?" Mad-Eye said, the corners of his mouth twitching, making his face look even more twisted than usual.

"I should have known something was wrong with his aunt and uncle then," Sirius said scowling at his past self. He had been so happy that Harry had agreed to come and live with him, he didn't stop to think that there must've been a reason he didn't have to think it over. "He thought that I was trying to kill him before he went into the Willow, and now he wants to come and live with me with no questions asked."

"You never would've made a good Auror," Mad-Eye muttered and Sirius's head snapped around to stare at him.

"I'm only saying that you're not very patient, and miss the obvious," Mad-Eye pointed out lightly. Kingsley held back a laugh at the look of indignation on Sirius's face. Though he had to agree slightly.

**Black turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care.**

Severus glowered again and the others decided to try and not laugh at the look on his face. Sirius gave Severus an unconvincing apologetic glance, which was completely ruined by his sneer. "Would it help my case if I remind you who it was who tried to do me in?"

Severus turned away with a disgusted look.

**"****You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"**

"No, he's joking," said Tonks sarcastically. "Of course he means it! Why else would he say that unless he wanted to leave the Dursleys!"

"I just wanted to make sure I didn't go mad and was hearing things!" Sirius laughed at her.

**"****Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry.**

**Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding.**

Albus smiled sadly as he looked over to see that Sirius was indeed smiling. He knew that Sirius had only ever looked that way whenever Harry was around… He saw what Harry meant. While, he knew that Sirius's gaunt face would never return to how he looked before he was sent to Azkaban, it was as if the younger Sirius was still smiling behind it… it was almost like seeing a ghost of the past returning…

"Sounds like he really made your day," Kingsley said with a sideways glance at Sirius. Remusalso remembered seeing that look very briefly when he looked back at them to make sure they were keeping up. It was a bittersweet moment—almost as if his friend was slowly coming back to life.

"Well, you can thank those kids for that," Sirius said with a fond thought of the_ 'Golden Trio'_. "Kids… they can be lifesavers."

"What do you mean by that?" Molly asked curiously.

"I'm sure we're about to find out," he said with a wave of his hand as he leaned it, anxious to know what had happened that night.

**They did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches.**

**Black saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Harry and Hermione to pass. At last, all of them were out.**

**The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. Harry's mind was buzzing. He was going to leave the Dursleys. He was going to live with Sirius Black, his parents' best friend… He felt dazed… What would happen when he told the Dursleys he was going to live with the convict they'd seen on television…!**

Kingsley broke off to smile at the others who, aside from Severus, seemed torn between happiness/sadness that Harry could've gotten a loving home that he had deserved for so long… and fury that he had been so unhappy with his aunt and uncle that he leapt at the chance to leave them without a second thought.

"Wish I could see their faces…" Sirius said dreamily.

**"****One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.**

"Wish we thought to stun him," Remus sighed miserably as he continued to beat himself up for not thinking about that. If he only thought to stun Peter then maybe none of this would've happened.

**Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Black, his chin bumping on his chest. And then -**

Kingsley paused, his eyes widening as they flashed across the page—horror dawning on his face as he swallowed hard—he looked up at Remus who had gone ghostly white.

"What's wrong, Kingsley? Remus?" asked Tonks in alarm, as Remus stared blankly ahead of him, as if forgetting that everyone else was here. Sirius looked over at him sadly, and Severus raised his eyebrows as he slowly realized what was about to happen.

**A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.**

"Why is it mentioning that?" Minerva demanded. "Unless…" she trailed off in horror as her eyes widened in understanding.

Remus shuddered, knowing what was about to happen. How could he have been so stupid?

"Oh, dear sweet Merlin," Molly gasped, unable to finish her sentence as she gripped Arthur's hand so tightly that he winced.

"Don't worry, Sirius is there," Arthur said trying to reassure anyone who was listening, though it didn't look as though anyone heard him, they were all to focused on the book. None of them dared to say what was about to happen. As if by not saying it, they could undo it or even prevent it from happening.

"It was all my fault," Remus said guilty.

"It's not your fault, Remus," Albus told him sternly just as Kingsley read out.

**Snape collided with Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Black froze. He flung out one arm to make Harry and Hermione stop.**

**Harry could see Lupin's silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.**

"It's the full moon," Remus let out a low, pained moan at the words being read from the book as if they were physically hurting him and he gripped his hair in both of his hands—and actually feeling a few hairs being pulled free. He felt the need to beat his head against a wall or something heavy. "I can't believe that I was so stupid! I can't believe that I forgot to take my potion! I had already left by the time Severus got there!"

"That's bad," Tonks gasped unnecessarily. "They need to get of there, now!"

Severus's face was void of all emotion, though his posture tensed as though it was taking every ounce of control he possessed not to leave right now. He had no idea just how much danger they had all been in that night. Arthur's confusion had cleared, giving way to an expression of the utmost fear for his son and the others, and Molly was shaking in his arms, staring from Remus to Sirius almost wildly.

Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and Albus alone looked calm; watching Sirius and Remus. While at the same time, Sirius, too, looked at Remus. The werewolf was trembling, his eyes wide but blinking rapidly to disperse the moisture rapidly gathering there.

"Hey, you were in shock… anyone would forget to take their potion… this isn't your fault!" cried Tonks sternly as she took his hand, and was hurt when he pulled away from her.

Remus didn't feel worthy to touch her. He had been hoping, wanting to find some way that he could somehow get together with her, but this chapter reminded him just how dangerous he truly was. "I'm so sorry," Remus moaned softly.

"C'mon Moony. I was still there," Sirius mumbled, patting his friend on the back. "Don't tell me you forgot what happened! I made sure that you didn't hurt anyone!"

"What did happen?" Molly gasped.

Instead of answering, Kingsley spoke.

**"****Oh, my —" Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"**

**"****Run," Black whispered. "Run. Now."**

"You really thought that you could fight a werewolf on your own?" Kingsley asked half amazed, half disbelieving.

"I know that I would've had a better chance of controlling him if they aren't there," Sirius said sternly. "I wouldn't have to worry about them getting hurt and could focus on getting Moony away from them."

"But Ron was chained to Remus!" Molly cried, gripping onto Arthur's arm tightly again as Arthur turned a sickly green. Remus's head snapped up. If anything he somehow got paler if that was even possible. He and everyone else had completely forgotten that Ron was still chained to him. Remus lowered his face back into his hands, cursing himself under his breath, his eyes shut tightly. Tonks gripped him around the shoulders reassuringly and muttered something to try and comfort him. Mad-Eye had then turned to Sirius.

"And do you honestly think Potter would let you fight a werewolf alone?" Mad-Eye asked, but he sounded more curious than disapproving.

"I'd like to think he would listen to reason at least once," Remus said, though the only one who heard him was Tonks. As they went on with the book, Tonks lowered her head onto Remus's shoulder, hoping that she could give him some forms of ease.

**But Harry couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. He leapt forward but Black caught him around the chest and threw him back.**

**"****Leave it to me — RUN!"**

Molly whimpered. She didn't want anything to happen to her son or any of the others; and though she had nothing against Remus, she had been terrified about hearing how close her youngest son had been to a fully-fledged werewolf.

**There was a terrible snarling noise. **

**Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away —**

For the first time, Kingsley's voice shook very slightly as he read. Remus quivered again, his head shaking slowly back and forth. He had never heard how terrifying his own transformations would be to someone else. Sirius and the others all said that it looked painful, but this… this was so much worse.

**As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's side. He had transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other.**

"You grabbed his neck?" Tonks shrieked as she clenched Remus's hands so tightly that even when he tried to pull away again, she wouldn't let go.

"That was dangerous, Sirius!" Arthur said slowly, knowing that if Sirius hadn't been careful, he could've easily had his own throat ripped out.

"It was either me or the kids," Remus snapped suddenly. "I rather he injured me than I might've done to any of them. Besides, my—_wolf_ self," he stuttered a little on the word wolf before he finished, "Is used to attacking and biting myself. I hardly felt a thing."

"And it also helps that Moony knows me," Sirius shook his head. "It may have been a long time, but he wouldn't have forgotten so easily. He wouldn't try to seriously hurt me, just get me out of the way."

**Harry stood, transfixed by the sight, too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted him — Pettigrew had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. **

"No!" Sirius roared, his face anguished at the thought of Peter's escape, as he realized in an instant the full potential consequences and Remus looked more disgusted with himself.

**Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light — and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang — Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.**

Arthur had been forced to hear many things throughout this book. But this was it. His son had taken care of that rat for years… and Wormtail still attacked him…

He stood up to his full height and the yells of rage that followed it made everyone else almost slip from their seats and caused Buckbeak to shriek and back away from his meal of dead rats. Arthur's yelling had even woke up the portrait of Mrs. Black downstairs so that now her distant shrieks of insults were added to Arthur's making it feel as if the whole house was shaking. No one had ever seen or heard Arthur as furious as he was right now, not even his wife seemed to want to say anything to him, his anger was just flaring out of his control and he was spewing profanities that would make even a sailor blush. To get out of the way before Arthur turned his anger on him, Remus jumped up and almost ran to the door to shut the portrait up downstairs.

It took some time to calm Arthur down after that. Molly mustered up her courage before she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She muttered soft words on nonsense to her husband before she was able to pull him back down onto the couch. Everyone just stared at Arthur—never seeing such a dangerous side to him. Even Mad-Eye was staring at him in surprise as Arthur's breathing slowly returned to normal.

Arthur didn't mean to lose control like that. But hearing who Scabbers truly was had been pushing his emotions to their limits… and then hearing that same rat attacked his son without a moment of hesitation or regret… Wormtail had better hope that Sirius got to him first… because if he ever saw him… Arthur clenched his fingers, unable to finish the murderous thought.

It took an even longer time for Remus to rejoin them. Remus had taken his time in coming back up, waiting downstairs until he was sure that Arthur's yelling had completely stopped before he slowly trenched back to the room. To be honest, he was tempted to run out the door and not come back—but he knew that he deserved this. He deserved to hear every single ounce of terror and harm he had inflicted that night.

He knew that it was his fault that Peter escaped and that Harry was back at the Dursleys, and Sirius was trapped here—even Voldemort's return. If he had only had thought to take that potion sooner… none of this ever would've happened. Nonetheless, he was going to torture himself by sitting through this. He needed to hear the extent of the damage he had caused…

When he came back to the room, he saw that Arthur was sitting there, breathing hard, his face red from all the yelling he did—with Molly sitting beside him, holding his hand.

Everyone else was staring at Arthur with looks of amazement and—maybe even a little fear. When Tonks heard him come back she leapt up and flung her own arms around Remus's neck before he even realized that she had left her seat. Predictably, Remus jumped back and tried to push her off, but she wasn't going to stand for it.

"You had me worried," she whispered to him firmly. "I was afraid that you were going to leave."

And without waiting for an answer, she led him back to his seat and forced him to sit back down. Once everyone else had calmed down, Kingsley felt that it would be safe to go on. It took him a few moments to remember where he left off before he was able to read.

**"Expelliarmus." Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward.**

**Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Harry saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on ****Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass.**

"That's not going to stop him," Sirius said sadly, his eyes flashing to Remus for a brief second before saying. "Just get everyone out of there, Harry."

"Damn him!" Arthur swore loudly, which caused them all to jump slightly as if afraid that he was going to start yelling again. But when he didn't, Kingsley read the next sentence before he was interrupted again.

**There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Harry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest —**

"Thank Merlin," Remus breathed, glad that he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

"How did you get him to run off?" Severus asked Sirius, trying hard not to sound impressed.

"Werewolves really don't like confrontation with other big animals," Remus explained for him at once. "Plus, I _did_ remember his scent and wolves don't attack members of their own… _pack_."

"A pack?" Tonks asked curiously.

"Yeah," Sirius said quietly. "Our little pack of four. Now down to two." He shrugged. "Even werewolves don't like to be alone."

Tonks smiled sadly as she leaned against Remus's side again, and heard him whimper.

"**Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Harry yelled.**

"Sirius…" choked Remus to Sirius, trying to let him know how sorry he was for costing him his freedom, but before he could finish his apology, Sirius waved his hand at him.

"Forget it, Moony, it's not your fault," he said sadly. "It's that rat's fault, no one else's. Least of all yours."

**Black was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back, but at Harry's words he scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws faded to silence as he pounded****away across the grounds.**

Yes, and that was when his time with his godson ran out. Sirius leaned back and sighed miserably. He didn't think about it then… but he realized now that he had abandoned Harry when he needed him, and hadn't made sure that he was safe. But what else could he have done?

"Did you really think you could find a rat in the dark?" Mad-Eye asked interested. To him, it sounded optimistic at best.

"I had to try," Sirius scoffed halfheartedly. "I didn't want to go back to Azkaban… or…" he trailed off, unable to finish. That was when he remembered that the Dementors were coming soon. But what had happened? He remembered trying to outrun them… but his strength had left him just near the lake and… he blacked out. When he woke up, he was in the castle, tied up, and waiting for the Dementors to come and finish him off. That was when…

He looked over at the Hippogriff, who was still looking a little irritable from all the yelling that Arthur did a few minutes ago.

"Sirius…" Remus began yet again, but Sirius simply shook his head roughly.

"We've explained this before. Any injuries we may get are worth it if it helped you," Sirius said sharply, and Remus sighed heavily.

"But they're not worth it if they don't help you!" Remus told him exasperated.

"Would you just shut up about that?" Sirius snapped. "I'm sick of hearing you blame yourself about your _'furry little problem'_. We can talk about this later ok? I want to know what happens."

Remus opened his mouth, changed his mind, and closed it again.

**Harry and Hermione dashed over to Ron.**

**"****What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered. Ron's eyes were only half-closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to ****recognize them.**

"That's not a stunning spell," Molly whispered in panic.

"I've never heard of this," Arthur said, going so pale that he looked almost translucent.

"I have," Albus scowled at that, his anger starting to rise again. "It's Dark Magic. It's nothing permanent!" he added hastily to their petrified expressions, "It's nothing life-threatening, just think of it as a much more effective spell than the usual Stunning spells. I believe that Ron only had to spend about half a day in the hospital."

"But what happened?" Arthur whispered, not knowing what to think anymore.

"Let him read," Mad-Eye said pointing a gnarled hand over at Kingsley, "And maybe we'll find out."

**"****I don't know…"**

**Harry looked desperately around. Black and Lupin both gone… they had no one but Snape for company, still hanging, unconscious, in midair.**

"Not the best company," Sirius tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"Why don't they just revive him?" Molly whispered in confusion.

"Unfortunately, Molly, they were only third years," Minerva reminded her. "They wouldn't learn that until fourth year."

"Rubbish," Mad-Eye said, rubbing a scarred hand over his staff. "I say teach the useful stuff first. What's the point learning about tiny, insignificant information when the rest of the world could come up and give you a good hard kick up the…"

"We get it, Mad-Eye," Tonks said quickly, before he could finish his opinion.

**"****We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," said Harry, pushing his hair out of his eyes, trying to think straight. "Come —"**

**But then, from beyond the range of their vision, they heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain…**

**"****Sirius," Harry muttered, staring into the darkness.**

**He had a moment's indecision, but there was nothing they could do for Ron at the moment, and by the sound of it, Black was in trouble —**

Sirius flinched and felt his heart constrict painfully as he understood what was about to happen. Harry was going to come after him… Harry was going to put himself in danger because of him… Sirius groaned. "Harry, you're not supposed to come after me!"

"Harry!" protested Moly in anguish. "There's a werewolf out there!"

"I hope you didn't do anything," muttered Arthur to Remus. "Please tell me that you haven't done anything."

Tonks felt Remus' minor flinch but felt that this time she could permit the Weasley's to say this stuff. Their son and his friends were all in danger and they were panicking… she could understand that. She just hoped that they get this chapter with as soon as possible and then they could all relax.

**Harry set off at a run, Hermione right behind him. The yelping seemed to be coming from ****the ground near the edge of the lake. They pelted toward it, and Harry, running flat out, felt the cold without realizing what it must mean -**

Sirius paled. "Cold…?" he whispered, feeling the panic rise within him. "Dementors…" he gasped. Did the Dementors try to _Kiss_ him after he had blacked out? That sounded like the only logical reason to why this chapter was called the _Dementor's Kiss_… and then… Harry summoned a Patronus to get them to back off? He didn't know… he couldn't remember what happened.

Arthur froze again and Molly let out a tiny sob, shutting her eyes tightly.

"No!" Tonks gasped in horror. "Not Dementors! Why do they show up NOW? Of all times?"

"I don't know," Minerva whispered, and Remus simply stared at the book in disbelief and Albus was almost fuming with anger. Kingsley fumbled with the corner of the page as he prepared to turn and began reading slightly faster than before.

**The yelping stopped abruptly. As they reached the lakeshore, they saw why — Sirius had turned back into a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.**

**"****Nooo," he moaned. "Nooo… please…"**

They all looked at Sirius, as what little color in his face left and he was staring at the book in horror, his face twitching faintly.

**And then Harry saw them. Dementors, at least a hundred of them, gliding in a black mass around the lake toward them. He spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides, fog starting to obscure his vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side; ****they were encircling them…**

"A hundred?" Minerva croaked out,looking faint.

Kingsley's voice shook as he read, and his face was whiter than ever, but he read on stubbornly as several mouths opened to speak, silencing them.

**"****Hermione, think of something happy!" Harry yelled, raising his wand, blinking furiously to**** try and clear his vision, shaking his head to rid it of the faint screaming that had started inside it —**

_**I'm going to live with my godfather. I'm leaving the Dursleys.**_

Tears had appeared in Sirius's eyes, and Remus glanced sideways at him, meeting his friend's gaze, and Remus knew just how much that must've meant to Sirius to hear that _he_ was the happy thought Harry had chosen to produce his Patronus.

**He forced himself to think of Black, and only Black, and began to chant: "**_**Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!**_**"**

**Black gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.**

"Come on Sirius… you can't give up now," Kingsley whispered, "Not now when you're so close… Think of Harry. Think of Remus… you couldn't give up when you came so far…"

"It's not like I had much of a choice," Sirius whispered through numb lips.

_**He'll be all right. I'm going to go and live with him.**_

**"**_**Expecto patronum!**_** Hermione, help me! **_**Expecto patronum!**_**"**

**"**_**Expecto **_**—" Hermione whispered, "**_**expecto — expecto —**_**"**

"But she doesn't know that spell…" Tonks said croakily. "She's never tried it before…"

**But she couldn't do it. The Dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from them. They formed a solid wall around Harry and Hermione, and were getting closer…**

**"**_**EXPECTO PATRONUM!**_**" Harry yelled, trying to blot the screaming from his ears. "**_**EXPECTO PATRONUM!**_**"**

**A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand and hovered like mist before him. At the same ****moment, Harry felt Hermione collapse next to him. He was alone… completely alone…**

"Don't think like that," Minerva whispered, her body shaking slightly. Arthur wrapped his arms around Molly tightly, shaking slightly as she was as she began to cry and tears were streaming from her eyes. Even Severus was looking both sick and scared, though he was able to hide most of it.

Albus became lost in his own thoughts. Dementors, embodiments of misery, with most people they caused depression and hopelessness, but for Harry, the experience is much worse—he hears voices from his past, relives the moments when, as an infant, Voldemort killed his parents. He hears the voice of his mother, screaming and pleading, moments before Voldemort ended her life.

But he still forces himself to face his fears. He faced his worst fears and overcame them with determination and courage. He kept trying, kept learning, and faced them head-on…

Which was more than Albus had ever been able to do.

**"**_**Expecto — expecto patronum —**_**"**

**Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass. Fog was clouding his eyes. With a huge effort, he fought to remember — **_**Sirius was innocent — innocent — We'll be okay — I'm going to live with him —**_

**"**_**Expecto patronum!**_**" he gasped.**

**By the feeble light of his formless Patronus, he saw a Dementor halt, very close to him. It couldn't walk through the cloud of silver mist Harry had conjured. A dead, slimy hand slid out from under the cloak. It made a gesture as though to sweep the Patronus aside.**

"Why isn't it working?" Tonks asked fearfully, glancing at Sirius and Remus… even at Snape—though they all shook their heads, having no memory of what happened.

"It's harder when there's more of them," Albus explained indistinctly.

"His Patronus isn't strong enough!" said Mad-Eye harshly. "Come on, boy, stay awake! If he passes out he's history."

"How did they get out of this?" Kingsley asked incredulously as Severus was also thinking the same thing.

**"****No — **_**no —**_**" Harry gasped. "He's innocent… **_**expecto expecto patronum —**_**"**

**He could feel them watching him, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest Dementor seemed to be considering him. Then it raised both its rotting hands ****— and lowered its hood.**

"He actually saw what was under the hood?" Remus choked out, weakly.

"I can't believe that he actually saw what was there and came out in once piece," Kingsley whispered. "The only ones who had ever seen it are…" he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. No one else needed him to say it however, knowing full well what he was trying to say and silently begged him to continue.

**Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth… a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.**

Everyone looked nauseous at the description. Tonks actually had to clamp her hands over her mouth to make sure that she wouldn't vomit.

**A paralyzing terror filled Harry so that he couldn't move or speak. His Patronus flickered and died.**

**White fog was blinding him. He had to fight… **_**expecto patronum**_**… he couldn't see… and in the distance, he heard the familiar screaming… **_**expecto patronum**_**… he groped in the mist ****for Sirius, and found his arm… they weren't going to take him…**

"The Dementor is going after him and he's worried about me?" Sirius demanded incredulously, his heart feeling as though it was being squeezed tightly.

"I'm more impressed he is still fighting despite what is going on," Mad-Eye spoke up. "And considering how bad the Dementors affect him in the first place."

"He sure doesn't give up easily, does he?" Kingsley asked before he read the next sentence.

**But a pair of strong, clammy hands suddenly attached themselves around Harry's neck. **

"Don't you dare touch him!" Sirius yelled furiously, rage that he never felt to such a degree was welling up inside him, along with the intense desire to rip someone—anyone—limb from limb.

"IT'S GOING TO KISS HIM!?" Tonks shrieked, feeling a horrible terror rush through her body. Everyone exchanged terrified glances, and even Severus looked distressed by this.

Albus had gone cold at what he was hearing, as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over him. Sirius was appearing to have trouble breathing… only realizing now just how much danger that they'd been in that night. His godson had nearly had his soul destroyed… because of him.

"No!" Molly screamed, clutching Arthur to her and rocking back and forth, muttering under her breath… tears streaming down her face. She tried to push herself off the couch intending to go straight to Hogwarts to check the kids for injuries to reassure herself. Her husband caught her before she could stand.

"They're fine; remember dear," he murmured to her softly.

"Get out of there, Harry," Minerva cried. She covered her face with her free hand and clutched her chest and motioned for Molly to hand her a Calming Draught. Molly handed one over quickly, looking as if she could use another one herself.

**They were forcing his face upward… He could feel its breath… It was going to get rid of him first… He could feel its putrid breath… His mother was screaming in his ears… She was going to be the last thing he ever heard —**

Albus's eyes had lost their twinkle at hearing about this, and Severus almost flinched at the thought of hearing Lily's voice screaming before the end…

"NO!" cried Molly, losing her head completely. "Help him! Someone! Anyone! Please!"

"Harry James Potter!" Sirius growled, under his breath. "Don't you ever do this to me again… I'm your godfather, you are my godson, it's not your job to protect me."

**And then, through the fog that was drowning him, he thought he saw a silvery light growing brighter and brighter… **

Kingsley let out a shuddering breath, releasing the tension that had been building up over the last few paragraphs, breathing deeply in and out several times before anyone could speak.

"A Patronus," Sirius murmured into the silence, and the others nodded, every one of them feeling weak with relief. But this didn't add up… Sirius had thought that it was Harry who had driven away all those Dementors… but it said here that it was someone else? If that's the case… then who was…? He shook his head to clear his thoughts and listen to what Kingsley was reading.

**He felt himself fall forward onto the grass… Facedown, too weak to move, sick and shaking, Harry opened his eyes. The Dementor must have released him. The blinding light was illuminating the grass around him… The screaming had stopped, the cold was ebbing away…**

"Oh, thank Merlin," Minerva gasped, a hand over her heart.

**Something was driving the Dementors back… It was circling around him and Black and Hermione… They were leaving…**

**The air was warm again…**

"Thank Merlin," Sirius said repeated, coming to terms with what he had just learnt. He had almost lost his soul… Sirius thought it was bad enough for his own soul to be at risk, but he couldn't bear the thought that Harry and Hermione was in danger too.

**With every ounce of strength he could muster, Harry raised his head a few inches and saw an animal amid the light, galloping away across the lake… Eyes blurred with sweat, Harry tried to make out what it was… It was as bright as a unicorn… Fighting to stay conscious, Harry watched it canter to a halt as it reached the opposite shore. For a moment, Harry saw, by its brightness, somebody welcoming it back… raising his hand to pat it… someone ****who looked strangely familiar… but it couldn't be…**

"Who is it, Harry?" asked Tonks eagerly, wanting to know who the hero was. Severus was also wondering about that. All he knew was that whoever it was who cast that Patronus had to have been very powerful.

**Harry didn't understand. He couldn't think anymore. He felt the last of his strength leave him, and his head hit the ground as he fainted.**

Molly sighed. "I hope he's all right," she said anxiously. "They were alright weren't they?" she asked Dumbledore and Minerva.

"Yes," Albus assured her. "Only a few minor injuries… they spent the night in the hospital wing, but they were able to leave the very next day."

"Why was the Dementor trying to get rid of Potter first in the first place is my question?" Mad-Eye asked conversationally, once again pulling out his hip-flask. "Anyone think it was because he was trying to help Black? Though, that's still not a reason for them to perform the _Kiss_… Also, all that time in Azkaban, Black avoided being overcome by the Dementors, but suddenly is overcome here. Is that because he was happy again for once in his life, or were there just to many Dementors?"

"Mad-Eye?" Tonks asked as Sirius reached for a Calming draft for himself, shaking slightly, "Please… just shut up."

"That's the end of the chapter," Kingsley said, sounding relieved to finally be able to let go of the book.

"Thanks for making us listen to that chapter," Sirius said in heavy sarcasm. "I've been getting bored of all the nightmares that I've been having ever since we read the first two books and I've been needing some new ones."

"That really was an awful chapter," Minerva muttered in agreement, her hand still over her heart.

Sighing, from both exhaustion and relief, Albus held out his hands to Kingsley, "If no one has any objections, I'll read."

"You sure?" Kingsley asked. "Because something tells me that things are only going to be getting worse."

"How can they possibly get any…?" Tonks began but Remus put a hand over her mouth.

"Please don't finish that sentence," he told her. "Because it just might get worse."

"There are only a few chapters left anyway," Albus said, still with his hand held out, "The sooner we finish, the better.

Kingsley passed the book to him and Albus read out, "**Chapter 21: Hermione's Secret**."


	30. Hermione's Secret

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 27: Hermione's Secret**

Kingsley passed the book to him and Albus read out, "**Chapter 21: Hermione's Secret**." He glanced at the picture of the tiny hourglass on the thin chain and smiled, knowing full well what was going to happen.

Severus raised his eyebrows… now, finally, he was going to find out how Potter had indeed 'gotten away with it' as he knew he did. Kingsley and Mad-Eye looked interested to see if their suspicion was correct while those who didn't know what the _'secret'_ was looked puzzled.

"Hermione has a secret?" said Sirius in surprise. "What on earth is this about?"

"Looks like we're finally going to find out how she's been getting to so many classes at the same time," said Arthur leaning in curiously. Albus and Minerva both glanced at each other—already knowing the answer.

"I can't imagine how _now_ is the right time to learn about it," Molly frowned in confusion.

**"****Shocking business… shocking… miracle none of them died… never heard the like… by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape…"**

"_Lucky? LUCKY?!" _Sirius choked out indignity, his eyes popping at Severus. "You didn't even _do_ anything! Don't tell me you told everyone that _you_ saved them!"

"From my point of view…" Severus said with a sneer and Sirius looked ready to strangle him again. That does it. He wasn't going to let Snape here for the next book.

**"****Thank you, Minister."**

**"****Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"**

"He's gonna get an Order of Merlin for taking a couple of kids back to the castle?" said Sirius in outrage and snarled at Severus—who was looking smug. "What is it with the Ministry giving Order of Merlin's to people who don't deserve them?" Sirius demanded. "They don't even mean anything anymore do they?"

"Good point," Tonks said, looking bemused. "I mean if you got the same kind of award that Lockhart and Pettigrew got, than I don't think I would want one."

"You were there as well, Sirius, remember?" Remus reminded him sadly. "They all probably thought that Severus was the one who captured you."

"Please," Sirius scoffed and waved his hand at him. "He's the absolute LAST person who would ever capture me."

Severus scowled—but there was still a slight vindictive pleasure inside him as well. He was finally going to find out how Potter was responsible for this. He was going to look forward to this. He leaned back in his seat and folded his hands together—trying hard not to smile.

**"****Thank you very much indeed, Minister."**

"Kiss up," Sirius muttered unimpressed.

Only Remus and Tonks heard him and Tonks had stifled a snort into her hand, but almost ended up choking instead.

**"****Nasty cut you've got there… Black's work, I suppose?"**

"Oh, I wish," Sirius growled. He would love a chance to duel with Snape and to shut him up once and for all. But he would just have to wait—perhaps he would wait until _after_ Harry left school before he showed Snape a lesson he won't forget so he wouldn't take it out on his godson later.

**"****As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister…"**

"Yes," he grinned—one of his proudest moments. To see a self-righteous git like Snape, a fully qualified wizard, get knocked out by three teenagers. He would remember that memory with fondness…

**"****No!"**

**"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. **

"WHAT?!" roared Sirius. "Why that has got to be some of the biggest crap that I've ever heard in my life…"

"I'm not lying," Severus said calmly, obviously enjoying Sirius's anger. "From my perspective that is what it looked like. Plus I'm not even asking for Fudge to expel them. You should thank me for covering for them."

"I rather lose a kidney," he snapped.

**They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. **

"You mean you really were protecting them?" Tonks raised her eye brow.

"Heaven forbid he ever does that," Sirius pointed out with a sigh. "He'll find some way of blaming them—mark my words. He was trying to make sure that whatever they say about me will be disregarded."

"Oh," she said in understanding and a shooting Severus, who didn't look too bothered by what Sirius said, a dark look. "That makes much more sense."

**On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape… They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now… **

"Well, that's because when they _do_ break the rules, it's usually to save someone, help to protect someone, or even to put a stop to Voldemort. So I ask—why punish them for that?" Tonks pointed out.

"I am merely asking for a bit of justice," Severus said without moving his lips.

"Hey," she snapped at him. "If it weren't for them, you'd be out of a job. Or did you already forget that whole incident with the Chamber?"

Sirius, Arthur, Molly, and Minerva all shuddered at the reminder. Still turning cold at what might've happened if things had turned out differently.

**I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves… and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster —"**

Some glared at Snape, whilst Sirius gave him a look of utmost loathing; Albus merely turned the page.

"You know that's not true, Snape," Arthur said firmly.

"Just because Potter happens to be his favorite student," Severus muttered, casting a glare at Albus, who pretended not to notice him. "What other student doesn't get in trouble for some of the things he's done?"

"Well, they earn it," Sirius said just as firmly and turned his head away from him as if he was looking at something disgusting at the bottom of his shoe.

Remus said nothing as he shook his head at their actions. Both of them were still acting like immature children. He had long since grown used to their treatment of each other—but that didn't stop him from growing frustrated at it.

**"****Ah, well, Snape… Harry Potter, you know… we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."**

"Well, except for you, Snape," Mad-Eye said in enjoyment. "He's standing in your path like a brick wall isn't he?"

"Could've fooled me, Fudge," Sirius said angrily. "You were so keen on being friendly to him here… you were only trying to suck up because he's famous! Funny how things have changed so quickly."

"Can't argue with that," Kingsley sighed.

**"****And yet — is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student.**

Everyone snorted at those words in pure disbelief and Severus chose to ignore the incredulous stares that were being sent his way—especially avoiding looking at Albus's disappointed glance as he pretended to examine the wall.

"Are you kidding me?" Molly asked slowly, unable to hear at how Severus had lied like this. "You treat him with more distaste than any other student you've probably ever had! You're always going out of your way to humiliate and bully him in front of everyone!"

"You treat the scum on your shoe better most days," Arthur agreed angrily. "You torture him every bloody chance you get and you say that you treat him like every student?"

"To be fair, he does do that to everyone who isn't in Slytherin," Tonks said lightly. "He's just more vindictive when it comes to our trio."

"He does receive so much special treatment…" Severus began but surprisingly it was Kingsley who cut him off.

"That's _not_ true," Kingsley snorted. "Harry doesn't ask for it, and most of the time he's not even aware of what's happening."

"You bully him to no ends just to get back at me! Why else would you go after a kid?" stormed Sirius, his face going red.

"Someone had to make sure that he didn't get a big head," Severus stubbornly; Minerva looked angry but Albus looked surprise._ 'Make sure that he didn't get a big head?'_ Albus's hopes weren't exactly high, but a seed of hope was starting to take hold inside him as he turned back to his page.

**And any other student would be suspended — at the very least — for leading his friends into such danger. **

"It wasn't his fault. They were just trying to help Ron!" Molly almost shouted at him in anger. Since when was it a crime to help someone in trouble? They felt that they didn't have another choice but to help go after Sirius and Ron.

"But I didn't know that did I?" he asked coldly.

"Then you shouldn't jump to conclusions," Kingsley advised him and Severus looked sour.

**Consider, Minister — against all school rules — after all the precautions put in place for his protection — out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer — and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too —"**

"I can see that it's true about what they say about girls maturing faster than boys," Tonks declared. "Are you ever going to grow up?" though for some reason she also glanced at Sirius as she said that.

"Tell me, if it was Malfoy who was there instead, would you be saying the same thing?" challenged Sirius as Severus continued to ignore Sirius.

"Probably not," said Arthur, his own dislike for that boy was rising again. "He'd be praising him for being in his House and be looking for extra points is my bet!"

"_Hypocrite_," Tonks coughed out and Severus was looking angrier than ever.

**"****Well, well… we shall see, Snape, we shall see… The boy has undoubtedly been foolish…"**

"And Snape is undoubtedly telling tall tales and is a slimy git!" grumbled Sirius to himself.

"I like how you said _'the boy'_ has been foolish," Mad-Eye said lightly to Severus. "It's almost as if the other two weren't even there."

**Harry lay listening with his eyes tight shut. He felt very groggy. The words he was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from his ears to his brain, so that it was difficult to understand… His limbs felt like lead; his eyelids too heavy to lift… He wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever…**

**"****What amazes me most is the behavior of the Dementors… you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"**

**"****No, Minister… by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances…"**

"So you shouldn't be trying to take the credit for something when you have no idea what happened!" Sirius yelled.

**"****Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girl —"**

**"****All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."**

'_What exactly is Snape's fixation with Potter getting punished?'_ Mad-Eye thought as he tapped his fingers on his staff. His magical eye fixed itself on Snape's tense posture. Mad-Eye knew that back in the Shack, Snape overheard that James Potter wasn't personally responsible for the so-called _trick_, and how he had even rescued him in good faith. Do Snape's grudges go that deep? Or is there yet more to this story?

**There was a pause. Harry's brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of his stomach…**

**He opened his eyes.**

**Everything was slightly blurred. Somebody had removed his glasses. He was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, he could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to him, bending over a bed. Harry squinted. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm.**

Molly and Arthur both bit their lips in fear and worry.

Noticing their pale expressions, Minerva said quickly, "He was just fine. Out cold, but he was out of the hospital the very next day."

The Weasleys looked more reassured, but still very pale. Arthur was breathing a little harder than necessary, and Molly's lower lip trembled slightly at the thought of their son hurt and lying unconscious in the hospital. It was why they were here in the Order… to make sure that their children wouldn't have to fight. But it seemed as though no matter what they did, it wasn't enough to protect their children…

**Harry moved his head over on the pillow. In the bed to his right lay Hermione. Moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open too. She looked petrified,**

Quite a few people winced at what happened to Hermione in the last book.

**and when she saw that Harry was awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside.**

**Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed. He turned to look at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate he had ever seen in his life. It looked like a small boulder.**

"That sounds good," Remus said almost longingly.

"Don't start drooling again, Moony," Sirius cautioned, still smirking widely at his friend's greatest weakness.

"I wasn't about to!" Remus shot back and Sirius merely raised an eyebrow and sniggered good-naturedly. He knew that Remus loves chocolate the same way that Sirius loves actions… just can't turn it down.

**"****Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on Harry's bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.**

**"****How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together.**

**"****He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you two, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're — Potter, what do you think you're doing?"**

"Probably trying to leave," Sirius offered helpfully.

"Good luck with that, Harry," Remus said thinking back to all the times he had been forced to spend in there. Madam Pomfrey didn't let anyone go unless she was a hundred percent sure they were healthy.

**Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses back on, and picking up his wand.**

"Harry, I think you should lie down," Molly fretted anxiously. "You've been through enough for one night."

**"****I need to see the headmaster," he said.**

**"****Potter," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now —"**

"NO!" several bellowed suddenly, Sirius's whole body stiffening and his face was turning deathly pale again. He was reminded just how close he came to becoming a soulless husk. Just how did they get him out of this?

Tonks was thinking along the same lines.

"How did you get out of this?" Tonks asked in wonder.

"Tonks you took the words right out of my mouth," he said in amazement. "I've been asking myself that same question for two years."

"How can you not know?" Minerva asked incredulous. "You were locked in Filius's office one minute, and the next… you were gone."

"It's not as simple as that," Sirius shrugged almost helplessly. "I'm hoping that this chapter tells us just what happened."

**"****WHAT?"**

**Harry jumped up out of bed; Hermione had done the same. But his shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.**

"Well, he was being unnecessary loud," muttered a scowling Severus.

**"****Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed — has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.**

Albus merely narrowed his eyes at that. He had hated the fact that Fudge had been so kind and understanding to Harry only when the press was giving the boy good publication, but as soon as one suggestion had come out that Fudge didn't like, he had done his best to discredit him. Albus couldn't care less with what the press or the Wizarding world thought of _himself_… if Albus ran away every time that someone disagreed with him—he'd circle the earth a dozen times over by now. But he wouold rather that they take all their foul-mouth newspapers out on him instead of going after a teenage boy. It sickened him to think at how low Cornelius was willing to sink to hold onto his post as Minister.

**"****Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's —"**

"It would be nothing less than murder," Tonks said through gritted teeth.

"Worse than that," Mad-Eye growled.

**But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.**

**"****Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control…"**

"Like hell you have!" Sirius sneered venomously. "_He's_ the one confounded if you ask me. Since when had they ever been in control? They've never had anything under control!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Mad-Eye stated.

'_Even here, we see the kind of person that Fudge is,' _Albus thought grimly. It was shown earlier that day that he was not as concerned about justice as would be expected from the Minister of Magic. Here, we see that he has a very closed mind overall.

**"****YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"**

"Ah," Sirius said shaking his head, half fondly, half exasperated—"His temper again. His parents couldn't stand the thought of injustice either."

"True enough," Remus nodded at the memories of Lily always standing up for the underdog. He glanced at Severus as he thought that. He had hoped that Severus would've remembered that as well.

**"****Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face.**

"Why should he?" Sirius demanded bitterly. "It won't make him look good, even if he believed it was true?"

"Oh, so innocent back then weren't they? They actually thought he would listen to reason," Tonks whispered sadly.

**"****I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and —"**

Minerva groaned. "This is not the best way to explain anything. They're not making much sense."

"They aren't making _any_ sense," Arthur moaned. "Can't say that I'm not too surprised that no one wanted to listen to them."

"Didn't help that Snape here," Sirius jerked his thumb over at Severus, "Told them that I confounded them. Not that would've listened anyway."

**"****You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, both of them… Black's done a very good job on them…"**

"While I am angry that you would think that I would Confund my own godson, Snape," Sirius said nonchalantly. "But still… I am flattered that you think so highly of my abilities."

"It wasn't supposed to be a compliment, Black," Severus ground out through gritted teeth, looking deadly.

"Oh, it sure sounded like one to me," Sirius stated. "A crude one, but a compliment none the less."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, shut up," Mad-Eye muttered, wanting to get to something interesting.

**"****WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.**

Severus had almost flinched when Potter had done that. It had been a very strong reminder of Lily and her anger that for a brief moment he thought that he was looking into her eyes. He shook his head angrily. No, Lily was gone and that was it. He screwed up his eyes tightly, trying hard not to think of Lily Evans… he was grateful that Dumbledore had started reading again and was distracted.

**"****Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"**

**"****I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen —"**

"Sorry, Harry. They aren't going to do that without some hard evidence and even then it'll take a miracle for them to actually bother themselves to listen," Sirius said sulkily. "Believe me. I've been trying for years."

**But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.**

Remus chuckled softly at this, remembering how seriously she took her patients health and how she wasn't afraid to resort to force if she had to.

**"****Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave."**

**The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. **

"Thank Merlin," Arthur muttered.

"Finally, someone who will listen to reason," Minerva agreed.

**Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again.**

**"****Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black —"**

**"****For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist —"**

"Oh, let him speak for once!" Sirius cried out exasperated.

**"****My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black —"**

**"****I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive —"**

"He's saying it because it's true," Tonks snapped, feeling her irritation build up inside of her. "If enough people say the same thing then should've that clue them in that maybe they might've gotten the wrong person? I mean, if Sirius was there to kill Harry, then wouldn't Harry be dead right now?" Tonks asked curiously. Sirius and several others shuddered at the thought of a dead Harry.

"How does he explain Potter still being alive?" Mad-Eye asked. "He wouldn't have wasted his time confounding him if he could've just killed him and have it done with."

"Would you stop talking like that?" Sirius begged. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if Harry had died—or if those Dementors had gotten to him. Which brought up another important question… where did that Patronus come from? He was about to ask when Dumbledore had continued.

**"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.**

**"****And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."**

"Your evidence, Severus?" Albus's tone was polite carried no hint of anger or disappointment, but his eyes were blazing slightly—he was thinking of how ironic it was that Severus refused to listen because of a school-boy grudge—and how he now felt that no one was listening to him.

"Well, you were unconscious half the time," Sirius muttered wryly, rolling his eyes. "Obviously you would have missed some details don't you think?"

"I don't see why it would count for anything," Tonks agreed. "After all anything could have happened while you were knocked out."

"Why is everyone always against me?" Severus demanded angrily.

"Ah, because you're wrong?" Tonks offered helpfully.

"WHO ASKED YOU?" he snapped at her.

Remus suddenly felt anger boiling in the pit of his stomach at the way that Severus was yelling at her.

**"****That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear."**

**"****Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"**

"Why? Because she was telling the truth?" Tonks demanded heatedly, with her hands on her hips. "Leave her alone, you big bully! She was only trying telling you what happened! It's not her fault that you don't want to listen!"

"Don't yell at her, Severus," Minerva said angrily.

Severus sneered at the women. Truthfully, he had hated Granger. She reminded him of… he shook his head… because she sounded like Lily.

**"****Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances —"**

**"****I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy — please leave us."**

"What are you going to do?" Sirius asked curiously.

Albus didn't answer, instead he just continued.

**"****Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest —"**

**"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."**

**Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.**

**"****The Dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."**

"How do you talk with a Dementor?" Molly couldn't help but ask. "We know Fudge does that a lot, but can they use their mouth for speech and how do they communicate with wizards? On second thought," she said at the disturbing thoughts that appeared in her mind. "I'm not sure I want to know."

**He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.**

**"****You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.**

**"****I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.**

**Snape took a step toward Dumbledore.**

**"****Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed.**

"He wasn't trying to murder you," Remus said crossly to Severus. "He just made a terrible mistake. Some people would argue that you made one as well by listening to him."

"Could've fooled me," Severus retorted.

Sirius scowled slightly. This book really didn't want him to forget about his mistakes, was it? If he could go back and stop it happening, he would! Why was it constantly throwing them back in his face?

**"****You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"**

"I have a very good memory, Severus," Albus said calmly, but with a frown, and Severus looked away abashed.

**"****My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.**

**Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to Harry and Hermione. They both burst into speech at the same time.**

**"****Professor, Black's telling the truth — we saw Pettigrew — he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf —"**

Remus cringed at the reminder of his stupidity of not taking his potion.

**"— ****he's a rat —"**

**"— ****Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off —"**

**"— ****Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius —"**

"I thought it was pretty serious," Molly said worriedly.

"Not serious, Molly," Albus smiled at her gently. "Sirius."

She blushed as they chuckled at her and she turned to Sirius. "Why couldn't you have a simple name?"

"Don't you think I've been wishing for that?" he asked her grumpily. "I wanted a simple name. But of course, by that time it was too late."

"You wanted a simple name because anything else would be too complicated for you to remember?" Severus asked lightly and Sirius growled at him.

**But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.**

**"****It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word — and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. **

"The word of three underaged wizards is as much to the Ministry as a House-elf," Mad-Eye said knowingly.

**A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."**

Sirius slumped his shoulders and sighed heavily, slowly shaking his head. "Great… forgot all about that."

Minerva frowned as she asked, "Who cast the Fidelius Charm?"

"The first time, it was Dumbledore," Sirius frowned at the memory. "The second… was Lily. Charms always was her best subject. We didn't tell anyone else and the only ones who knew were the rat, Voldemort, and a fifteen-month-old baby."

**"****Professor Lupin can tell you —" Harry said, unable to stop himself**

"That's not going to help," Remus said bitterly. "Because I'm a werewolf my word means next to nothing to the Ministry. And the fact that I was a friend of Sirius Black doesn't help either. Besides, I doubt that I would be much help anyway," he added bitterly. "I was in the forest at the time."

Tonks felt her heart go out to the kind-hearted man next to her and knew she had to say something to him… but she didn't know what.

**"****Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends —"**

Remus winced slightly again—despite the fact that he already knew all this. Things seemed to just be going from bad to worse and he was silently grateful that he was in the forest and not being forced to listen to this.

**"****But —"**

**"****Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."**

**"****He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him —"**

"Oh, the hatred started long before that," Sirius muttered with a fierce look at Severus. "And it was much more than just one trick, believe me."

"True, everyone knows you hate each other, why wouldn't they take that into account?" Mad-Eye asked suddenly. "And from a former Death Eater at that. Most people would consider that to be even worse than a werewolf."

"Well," Severus said silkily, "The important word here is 'former' isn't it?"

Sirius glared. As far as he was concerned—Snape will never be anything but a stinking Death Eater.

**"****Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady — entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife — without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."**

"That's _not_ true," Tonks scowled. "Has the Ministry become completely forgotten how to make of a bottle of Veritaserum before they started chucking people to the Dementors?"

"Wouldn't shock me if they had," Mad-Eye replied with a scowl.

"Everything is always crime and punishment with them," Sirius growled furiously. "Even if you didn't _do_ the crime in the first place!"

**"****But you believe us."**

**"****Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. **

"It's always a relief when someone believes you," Arthur muttered. "It happens so rarely doesn't it?"

**"But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic…"**

"Wait," Kingsley stated suddenly, staring up at Albus. "The whole point of having the Wizengamot is to ensure that the Ministry doesn't gain too much power."

Sirius grunted in disgust. "Not working to well is it?"

"Unfortunately," Albus stated regretfully. "I have no control over _every_ decision that the Ministry comes up with."

"But you're the Chief Warlock," Molly said suddenly. "Surely you could've done something?"

"Unfortunately no," Albus said sadly. "I don't have the final say in who gets arrested unless there's a trial. And without Peter dead or alive, no one was going to listen."

"Typical," Sirius grunted.

**Harry stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath him were falling sharply away. He had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything. He had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no… their last hope was gone.**

Albus sighed. If only he _was_ able to do that much… But unfortunately there were still things beyond his grasp… indeed, perhaps the most important thing of all.

**"****What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry to Hermione, "is more time."**

**"****But —" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"**

"Ok, what's going on?" said Sirius, confused. "I'm lost."

"That's obvious," Tonks agreed and he frowned at her.

"I think we're about to find out how she's getting to her classes," Kingsley said with a knowing smile.

"But how is that going to help?" Sirius asked as Albus went on.

**"****Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight.**

"Huh? What does that mean?" Sirius questioned completely bewildered.

Several of them grinned in understanding and Severus started to turn red with anger as he slowly began to realize what was happening.

**But remember this, both of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law — you know what is at stake… You — must — not — be —seen."**

**Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.**

**"****I am going to lock you in. It is —" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."**

**"****Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"**

"You got me, Harry," Sirius said, wishing that someone would give him a straight answer.

**But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.**

**"****Harry, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"**

**Harry moved toward her, completely bewildered.**

"He is completely confused and yet he still follows her," Molly said with a fond smile and a shake of the head.

"They know each other so well, and they completely trust each other," Minerva reminded them.

"Wish I was that close with my friends," Tonks said enviously.

**She was holding the chain out. He saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.**

There was a sharp intake of breath.

"A Time-Turner!" Arthur cried out and smacked his forehead. "Of course! That's how she's been doing it!"

Sirius only continued to look confused and Remus suddenly remembered that Sirius was in Azkaban and that the Time-Turners weren't created until after he was imprisoned.

"A Time-Turner," he explained quickly. "Allows you to go back in time. That's how Hermione was in two classes at once. She went back in time and had been repeating the same hours over."

Sirius shook his head in amazement.

"It makes sense," Molly agreed, raising an eyebrow. "But to let a teenage girl handle it… isn't that a bit risky?"

"Hermione's very mature," Minerva informed her. "I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted that she was sure that she could handle it. I had to write many letters to the Ministry and told them that she was a model student and would never use it except for her classes."

"How far back in time can you go?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Unfortunately," Albus told him, "Only up to twenty-four hours." Sirius sighed. Of course it would be too good to be true.

Severus was breathing hard through his nose as he glared at Dumbledore knowing what he was about to ask Potter and Granger do.

**"****Here —"**

**She had thrown the chain around his neck too.**

**"****Ready?" she said breathlessly.**

**"****What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.**

"Isn't he always?" Severus asked and Sirius bit his tongue to prevent himself from rising to the bait.

**Hermione turned the hourglass over three times.**

**The dark ward dissolved. Harry had the sensation that he was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him, his ears were pounding, he tried to yell but couldn't hear his own voice —**

"Fascinating," Kingsley said quietly, a tone of awe laced into his face having never experienced going back in time.

**And then he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again —**

"So they really went back in time?" Sirius asked in wonder.

"Yes," Minerva nodded.

"Just like that?" he asked.

"Just like that," she confirmed.

He shook his head. "Unbelievable."

**He was standing next to Hermione in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. He looked wildly around at Hermione, the chain of the hourglass cutting into his neck.**

"So it moves you to a different area too?" Tonks questioned.

"Yes," Albus explained. "It moves you to about the same location you were during the original timeline."

**"Hermione, what —?"**

**"****In here!" Hermione seized Harry's arm and dragged him across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed him inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind them.**

Sirius smirked and opened his mouth to say something about that, but Molly cut him off before he could say what he was thinking.

"Don't even think about saying that," she warned him and he looked at her innocently.

**"What — how — Hermione, what happened?"**

**"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off Harry's neck in the darkness. "Three hours back…"**

**Harry found his own leg and gave it a very hard pinch. It hurt a lot, which seemed to rule out the possibility that he was having a very bizarre dream.**

**"****But —"**

**"****Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think — I think it might be us!" Hermione had her ear pressed against the cupboard door.**

**"****Footsteps across the hall… yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"**

**"****Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"**

"So they have materialized back at the identical scene from back in Chapter 16, where they were under the Cloak trying to sneak out to be with Hagrid," Mad-Eye went over. "Only this time, these two are the pair of footsteps that ran and slammed the door. Pretty bizarre—they have to run to avoid themselves, who were hiding from themselves."

"This is complex stuff," Tonks said.

"Tell me about it," Sirius agreed. He was getting a headache just thinking about it.

**"****Yes," said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than three people… and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak — " She broke off, still listening intently. "We've gone down the front steps…"**

**Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious, but Harry wanted a few questions answered.**

**"****Where did you get that hourglass thing?"**

**"****It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione whispered, "and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone.**

"Still can't believe she didn't tell anyone sooner," Sirius said shaking his head. "If I were her, I'd use that to some real use."

"Good thing that those things weren't created until after you left school," Minerva said sternly.

**She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies… I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? **

"Oh, I see," Molly nodded in understanding. "All those classes and going back in time to repeat those same hours was stressing her out. That would drive anyone crazy."

Mad-Eye on the other hand was grinning darkly. That means Granger wasn't only breaking rules, she's breaking wizarding law. Of course, it was Dumbledore who asked her to, but this shows that Granger is willing to put morals in front of rules. Thatta girl.

**But…**

**"****Harry, I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"**

"She couldn't figure it out?" Arthur couldn't help but ask. "She's usually the first one to find the answer."

"Hermione has trouble seeing the obvious," Tonks teased. "Give her something no one else knows and she can solve any problem, except when things are staring right in front of her face… she needs to work on that."

"Be nice," Molly told her. "No one's perfect."

**Harry stared at her shadowy face.**

**"****There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," he said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago…"**

**"****This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving…"**

"Buckbeak!" Remus said suddenly. "They were going down to Hagrid's to go and see him before Buckbeak's execution!"

"That's when they free Buckbeak!" Sirius beamed as the pieces started coming together. "Then they used him to get me out! It's brilliant!"

"So they saved Buckbeak!" Molly smiled brightly. "Thank Merlin!"

At the sound of his name, Buckbeak looked up at them and squawked. Tonks waved her hands at him and coaxed him to come over near her so that she could pet him.

Severus's eye was twitching now. So that was how they done it. He almost snarled at Albus who was looking at him with peaceful eyes before he turned the page and went on as if nothing had interrupted him.

**Harry frowned; he felt as though he were screwing up his whole brain in concentration.**

**"****Dumbledore just said — just said we could save more than one innocent life…" And then it hit him. "Hermione, we're going to save Buckbeak!"**

**"****But — how will that help Sirius?"**

"Come on girl," Mad-Eye said annoyed. "Do use your common sense."

**"****Dumbledore said — he just told us where the window is — the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak — they can escape together!"**

"So that was how I got a Hippogriff," Sirius said happily, enjoying the enraged look on Severus's face.

**From what Harry could see of Hermione's face, she looked terrified.** **"****If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"**

Remus nodded. "I see her point. I'm sure they'll do it though, you wouldn't have told them to do it if you thought they weren't able to handle it, sir?"

"Wait a minute…" Sirius growled suddenly at said man. "Why did you tell _them_ to do it? Why not do it _yourself_? Why couldn't you have borrowed the Time-Turner and went back instead? Why did it have to be them?"

"Because they knew where everyone was at what time," Albus said gently. "I had other reasons, but I'm sure that we will cover them before the chapter is over."

**"****Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Harry. He stood up and pressed his ear against the door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there… Come on, let's go."**

**Harry pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as they could, they darted out of the closet and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.**

**"****If anyone's looking out of the window —" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.**

**"****We'll run for it," said Harry determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout —"**

"I just thought of something," Kingsley said quietly. "They're going to have to watch events unfold all over again, aren't they? Which means that they're going to see Peter as a rat, but they know what is going to happen now… it's not going to be easy for Harry to sit there and not do anything as Peter escapes," he ran a hand through his hair slowly and sighed. "It's going to be tough."

"Oh, I hope he doesn't do anything reckless," Molly frowned.

**"****Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!' said Hermione breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!"**

"What's the big deal if you see yourself? I mean you wouldn't tell on yourself, would you?" Sirius asked with a shrug.

"Could you image what Harry would do if he suddenly saw that he had a twin?" Mad-Eye asked as if he thought he was dumb.

"Besides, it's dangerous messing with time," Remus added. "There's no telling what might happen."

**Still working out what she meant, Harry set off at a sprint, Hermione behind him. They tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, then set off again, fast as they could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing toward the shelter of the forest…**

"Never thought I would hear the forest as a shelter," Kingsley declared almost silently.

**Safe in the shadows of the trees, Harry turned around; seconds later, Hermione arrived beside him, panting.**

**"****Right," she gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's… Keep out of sight, Harry…"**

**They made their way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as they glimpsed the front of Hagrid's house, they heard a knock upon his door. They moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And Harry heard his own voice.**

"This is dangerous," Minerva and Molly said. "Can you imagine what would happen if they had been seen?" Minerva

"Even if it meant that they were saving innocent lives from an unjust fate?" Arthur asked them.

"I'm merely stating that it is dangerous!" Minerva said sharply.

**"****It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."**

**"****Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered. He stood back, then shut the door quickly.**

**"****This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently.**

"I can imagine," Sirius chuckled, trying to imagine seeing himself from afar.

"And that's saying something," Kingsley joked. "Considering everything they've done in the last two years."

"It's hard to beat following yourself around," Remus laughed.

**"****Let's move along a bit," Hermione whispered. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!"**

**They crept through the trees until they saw the nervous Hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid's pumpkin patch.**

**"****Now?" Harry whispered.**

**"****No!" said Hermione. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!"**

"She's got a point, but it won't give them much time," Minerva pointed out, frowning.

"They can do it," Tonks declared confidently. "Timing's the key here."

"Funny they have so much of it now," Sirius stated.

"But they still only have about a minute to do it," Molly said biting her nails.

**"****That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Harry. This was starting to seem impossible.**

"Starting to seem impossible? About ten minutes ago, I wouldn't have believed time travel was possible!" exclaimed Sirius, though he was starting to get worried as well.

**At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid's cabin.**

**"****That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Hermione whispered. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment —"**

"I don't suppose it's too much to hope that they could try to get Wormtail at the same time?" Sirius barked desperately.

"It's too much of a risk, and far too dangerous for them to be seen by themselves," Albus said sadly.

"But…"

"No. I'm sorry Sirius, but they're there to save you, which will be difficult enough by itself. Focus on priorities. They can't put themselves in more danger than is necessary with trying to catch the rat too," Remus said, vaguely noticing the muscle was still going in Severus's face.

**Sure enough, a few minutes later, they heard Hermione's shriek of surprise.**

**"****Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "what if we — we just run in there and grab Pettigrew —"**

Kingsley frowned—knowing that the idea would've come to Harry eventually.

"Oh no," Molly moaned, still biting her nails.

**"No!" said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen —"**

"Then what are you doing here now?" Tonks had to ask.

"They had special permission," Albus said simply.

**"****We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!"**

"It would still be bad," Minerva said worriedly hoping Harry listened to Hermione so that he didn't do something stupid.

**"****Harry, what do you think you'd do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?" said Hermione.**

"Nothing good I'm guessing," Mad-Eye said brightly.

**"****I'd — I'd think I'd gone mad," said Harry, "or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on —"**

**"****Exactly! You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time… Loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!"**

"So time travel isn't only confusing, but potentially lethal. Sounds like it's perfect for Harry Potter!" Tonks said cheerfully.

Everybody shivered at the inference of her words.

Sirius didn't like the sound of time travel anymore. "You could accidently kill yourself and wipe your being out of existence… scary…"

"What would that do? I mean, if you kill your past self, then you won't be alive in the future to go to the past and kill yourself," Remus said.

They all stared at him.

"What?" Sirius had to ask.

"Never mind," Remus told him.

**"****Okay!" said Harry. "It was just an idea, I just thought —"**

**But Hermione nudged him and pointed toward the castle. Harry moved his head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member, and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps.**

**"****We're about to come out!" Hermione breathed.**

**And sure enough, moments later, Hagrid's back door opened, and Harry saw himself, Ron, and Hermione walking out of it with Hagrid. It was, without a doubt, the strangest sensation of his life,**

"That would be odd," Sirius nodded with a chuckle.

**standing behind the tree, and watching himself in the pumpkin patch.**

**"****It's okay, Beaky, it's okay…" Hagrid said to Buckbeak. Then he turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Go on. Get goin'."**

**"Hagrid, we can't —"**

**"****We'll tell them what really happened —"**

**"****They can't kill him —"**

**"****Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"**

"Anyone else feeling a sense of Déjà vu?" Arthur mumbled.

**Harry watched the Hermione in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over him and Ron.**

**"****Go quick. Don' listen…"**

**There was a knock on Hagrid's front door. The execution party had arrived. Hagrid turned, around and headed back into his cabin, leaving the back door ajar. Harry watched the grass flatten in patches all around the cabin and heard three pairs of feet retreating. He, Ron, and Hermione had gone… but the Harry and Hermione hidden in the trees could now hear what was happening inside the cabin through the back door.**

**"****Where is the beast?" came the cold voice of Macnair.**

"He's not a beast," Sirius scowled.

Buckbeak made a sound as if he was in agreement as Sirius absentmindedly stroked his head. Buckbeak folded his wings and sat in front of their couch and seemed ready to doze off again.

**"****Out — outside," Hagrid croaked.**

**Harry pulled his head out of sight as Macnair's face appeared at Hagrid's window, staring out at Buckbeak. Then they heard Fudge.**

**"****We — er — have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid. I'll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, You're supposed to listen too, that's procedure-"**

**Macnair's face vanished from the window. It was now or never.**

A snarl was sounding up from Severus's throat and Sirius leaned in to hear more eagerly.

**"****Wait here," Harry whispered to Hermione. "I'll do it."**

**As Fudge's voice started again, Harry darted out from behind his tree, vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch, and approached Buckbeak.**

"Don't forget to bow, Harry," Molly said nervously.

_**"**__**It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall he executed on the sixth of June at sundown—"**_

"Huh!" steamed Arthur. "It wasn't the committee's decision at all… it was Lucius Malfoy pocket book that did that!"

"Can't argue with you on that," Mad-Eye said with a yawn.

**Careful not to blink, Harry stared up into Buckbeak's fierce orange eyes once more and bowed. Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees and then stood up again. Harry began to fumble with the knot of rope tying Buckbeak to the fence.**

"Good thing that you like him Buckbeak," Sirius mumbled, also looking quite nervous now that he knew the issues with time travel. He ran a hand over Buckbeak's beak to calm himself down.

_**"… **__**sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden Macnair…"**_

**"****Come on, Buckbeak," Harry murmured, "come on, we're going to help you. Quietly… quietly…"**

_**"… **__**as witnessed below. Hagrid, you sign here…"**_

**Harry threw all his weight onto the rope, but Buckbeak had dug in his front feet.**

"Now's not the time to be stubborn, Buckbeak," Tonks groaned as she hugged the present-day Buckbeak's neck.

"Come on, Buckbeak… work with us, here!" said Remus desperately as the Hippogriff turned his regal head to look at him.

**"****Well, let's get this over with," said the reedy voice of the Committee member from inside Hagrid's cabin. "Hagrid, perhaps it will be better if you stay inside —"**

"He would never leave one of his creatures alone to face that," Albus sighed knowing Hagrid.

**"****No, I — I wan' ter be with him… I don' wan' him ter be alone —"**

**Footsteps echoed from within the cabin.**

"Hurry up kid," Mad-Eye growled.

**"****Buckbeak, move!" Harry hissed.**

**Harry tugged harder on the rope around Buckbeak's neck. The Hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably. They were still ten feet away from the forest, in plain view of Hagrid's back door.**

**"****One moment, please, Macnair," came Dumbledore's voice. "You need to sign too." The footsteps stopped. **

"It's almost as if you knew," Remus said, shaking his head with a small smile at Dumbledore. "When you hold everyone up to go back and have the executioner sign, you seem to have some motivation—as if you knew that you needed to stall them."

Albus smiled consciously. "I wasn't completely aware of what was going on. Or that they were there at first—or even how. As Hagrid signed the form, I had just looked out the window to get a look at Buckbeak and I saw Harry running out and untying him. I had to do something or they would've been caught. I'll explain more in a minute." He just cleared his voice and read the next sentence before they could ask anything else.

**Harry heaved on the rope. Buckbeak snapped his beak and walked a little faster.**

"Don't get him angry, Harry," said Sirius quickly with a glance at the few scars on his hands when he had annoyed the Hippogriff. "He gets even more stubborn when he's angry."

"Had some experiences with an angry Buckbeak, Sirius?" Kingsley teased good-naturedly.

"A few," he said holding up his hand so that they could see the places where Buckbeak had bitten him.

**Hermione's white face was sticking out from behind a tree.**

**"****Harry, hurry!" she mouthed.**

"What do you think he's trying to do?" Tonks demanded in frustration.

**Harry could still hear Dumbledore's voice talking from within the cabin. He gave the rope another wrench. Buckbeak broke into a grudging trot. They had reached the trees…**

**"****Quick! Quick!" Hermione moaned, darting out from behind her tree, seizing the rope too and adding her weight to make Buckbeak move faster. Harry looked over his shoulder; they were now blocked from sight; they couldn't see Hagrid's garden at all.**

They all, minus an infuriated Severus, sighed in relief.

**"****Stop!" he whispered to Hermione. "They might hear us."**

**Hagrid's back door had opened with a bang. Harry, Hermione, and Buckbeak stood quite still; even the Hippogriff seemed to be listening intently. Silence… then —**

"That's got to be a nasty little shock," Sirius smiled.

**"****Where is it?" said the reedy voice of the Committee member. "Where is the beast?"**

"Oh, that's really got to annoy them, trying to figure out what happen," Sirius grinned in enjoyment.

**"****It was tied here!" said the executioner furiously. "I saw it! Just here!"**

"Serves you right," Tonks said hugging Buckbeak's neck tightly again and muttered praises to him softly.

**"****How extraordinary," said Dumbledore. There was a note of amusement in his voice.**

The twinkle in Albus's eyes was back, and he appeared to be fighting the urge to grin himself.

**"****Beaky!" said Hagrid huskily.**

**There was a swishing noise, and the thud of an axe. The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger. And then came the howling, and this time they could hear Hagrid's words through his sobs.**

Some of the blinked in confusion. What was going on? Didn't this happen the last time? But they were changing time… weren't they?

**"****Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!"**

"What is going on?!" Sirius said, shaking his head, on hand in his hair. "It's like… this is what happened last time… was this what happened or did Buckbeak really die?" Sirius groaned, and lightly rubbed at his temples.

"No, he wasn't, because no matter what, they still went back in time so both times Buckbeak was saved," Albus answered as if it was obvious.

"Ahhh—the paradox of how even dramatic changes of events in one space/time doesn't change anything in the general fabric of the universe," Mad-Eye laughed. "In both time sequences, the axe swished and thudded, yet didn't cut anything after all; in both sequences Hagrid sobbed, but we see here it was tears of joy. You," he added with a glance at Albus. "Are apparently in control here as you delayed them for a few extra seconds. How did you know all this?"

Albus chuckled. "I told you. I saw Harry leading Buckbeak back into the forest and I also saw Hermione dash out to help. I didn't know what was going on at the time or what they were going to do. I thought that they just wanted to help Buckbeak and Hagrid. I had planned to speak with them myself once the Minister had left. But once Sirius was captured and he told me what was really going on, I remembered seeing them and understood what needed to be done."

That made so much sense, that they couldn't think of anything to say to that. So instead, he spared them the trouble by continuing.

**Buckbeak started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Hagrid. Harry and Hermione tightened their grip and dug their heels into the forest floor to stop him.**

**"****Someone untied him!" the executioner was snarling. "We should search the grounds, the forest."**

**"****Macnair, if Buckbeak has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot?" said Dumbledore, still sounding amused. **

The group laughed slightly at that, shaking their heads in amusement at Dumbledore's upbeat attitude to the whole issue.

"So you truly did know," Minerva confirmed with Albus.

"I did tell you," he said lightly.

**"****Search the skies, if you will… Hagrid, I could do with a cup of tea. Or a large brandy."**

**"****O' — o' course, Professor," said Hagrid, who sounded weak with happiness. "Come in, come in…"**

**Harry and Hermione listened closely. They heard footsteps, the soft cursing of the executioner, the snap of the door, and then silence once more.**

"Brilliant! They did it! They got Buckbeak and got away with it!" cried Tonks, hugging Buckbeak again.

"Damn right he did!" said Sirius proudly. "That's my boy!"

"It's a little too early to celebrate don't you think?" Mad-Eye asked.

**"****Now what?" whispered Harry, looking around.**

**"****We'll have to hide in here," said Hermione, who looked very shaken. "We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window. He won't be there for another couple of hours… Oh, this is going to be difficult…"**

"When has _anything_ that they do _ever_ been easy?" Sirius cried out to the ceiling unexpectedly; causing them to jump.

"Of course it'll be difficult. But they saved one life already," Arthur said in an encouraged voice, smiling widely.

**She looked nervously over her shoulder into the depths of the forest. The sun was setting now.**

"They should move to the Willow, so they know what's going on," Kingsley added.

**"****We're going to have to move," said Harry, thinking hard. "We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won't know what's going on."**

**"****Okay," said Hermione, getting a firmer grip on Buckbeak's rope. "But we've got to keep out of sight, Harry, remember…"**

**They moved around the edge of the forest, darkness falling thickly around them, until they were hidden behind a clump of trees through which they could make out the Willow.**

**"****There's Ron!" said Harry suddenly.**

**A dark figure was sprinting across the lawn and its shout echoed through the still night air.**

**"****Get away from him — get away — Scabbers, come here —"**

"You know," Tonks said suddenly, "Things seem to make much more sense from this point of view… but at the same time they're even more confusing."

"I know what you mean," Molly nodded.

**And then they saw two more figures materialize out of nowhere. Harry watched himself and Hermione chasing after Ron. Then he saw Ron dive.**

**"****Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat —"**

**"****There's Sirius!" said Harry. The great shape of the dog had bounded out from the roots of the Willow. They saw him bowl Harry over, then seize Ron…**

"Why did you knock Harry over again?" Tonks asked and Sirius went red.

"I wasn't trying to! I was trying to scare them away and so that I can get to Wormtail," he answered.

**"****Looks even worse from here, doesn't it?" said Harry, watching the dog pulling Ron into the roots.**

Sirius cringed again at the mention of that.

"Sorry," he said as Molly gave him a cold glare at the mention of him breaking her son's leg all over again.

**"****Ouch — look, I just got walloped by the tree — and so did you — this is weird —"**

"It's weird to just read about," muttered Arthur. "I hate to think about watching it."

**The Whomping Willow was creaking and lashing out with its lower branches; they could see themselves darting here and there, trying to reach the trunk. And then the tree froze.**

**"****That was Crookshanks pressing the knot," said Hermione.**

**"****And there we go…" Harry muttered. "We're in."**

"That would drive me mad," Tonks shook her head. "Watching yourself repeating things you'd already done. I don't see why Hermione didn't lose her mind sooner."

**The moment they disappeared, the tree began to move again. Seconds later, they heard footsteps quite close by. Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge, and the old Committee member were making their way up to the castle.**

**"****Right after we'd gone down into the passage!" said Hermione. "If only Dumbledore had come with us…"**

**"****Macnair and Fudge would've come too," said Harry bitterly. "I bet you anything Fudge would've told Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot…"**

"Maybe, but I think Dumbledore would have prevented that," Minerva said calmly.

"I would like to hope so," Albus answered her as he turned the page.

**They watched the four men climb the castle steps and disappear from view. For a few minutes the scene was deserted. Then —**

**"****Here comes Lupin!" said Harry as they saw another figure sprinting down the stone steps and halting toward the Willow. Harry looked up at the sky. Clouds were obscuring the moon completely.**

**They watched Lupin seize a broken branch from the ground and prod the knot on the trunk. The tree stopped fighting, and Lupin, too, disappeared into the gap in its roots.**

**"****If he'd only grabbed the cloak," said Harry. "It's just lying there…"**

"Harry could grab the cloak so Snape can't sneak up on us," Sirius said hopefully.

"Sirius you know that didn't happen," Remus said doubtfully.

"He should still grab it," Sirius insisted stubbornly.

"If you rather I found Potter and he be expelled, that is your opinion," Severus reminded him which shut Sirius up at once.

"I can't believe you guys are arguing about this like it worked out any differently," Remus told them. "Do you honestly think Hermione would let him do that?"

**He turned to Hermione.**

**"****If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape'd never be able to get it and —"**

**"****Harry, we mustn't be seen!"**

**"****How can you stand this?" he asked Hermione fiercely. "Just standing here and watching it happen?" He hesitated. "I'm going to grab the cloak!"**

"You can't!" Molly said in a panicked voice, biting her bottom lip hard.

Sirius, on the other hand, cheered. "Go for it Harry."

**"****Harry, no!"**

**Hermione seized the back of Harry's robes not a moment too soon. Just then, they heard a burst of song. It was Hagrid, making his way up to the castle, singing at the top of his voice, and weaving slightly as he walked. A large bottle was swinging from his hands.**

**"****See?" Hermione whispered. "See what would have happened? We've got to keep out of sight! No, Buckbeak!"**

"Well, to be fair, it was just Hagrid, that would have been okay, he wouldn't have seen them," Sirius sniggered. "He's drunk again."

"Not the point," Mad-Eye hissed. "It could have been anyone."

**The Hippogriff was making frantic attempts to get to Hagrid again; Harry seized his rope too, straining to hold Buckbeak back. They watched Hagrid meander tipsily up to the castle. He was gone. Buckbeak stopped fighting to get away. His head drooped sadly.**

"Aww," Tonks said quietly. "Hagrid's pets love him just as much as he loves them. Don't you?" she added in a coo to Buckbeak who closed his eyes sleepily.

"Course they do," Sirius smiled. "He's as loyal to them as he is to people. Even when he shouldn't."

**Barely two minutes later, the castle doors flew open yet again, and Snape came charging out of them, running toward the Willow.**

**Harry's fists clenched as they watched Snape skid to a halt next to the tree, looking around. He grabbed the cloak and held it up.**

**"****Get your filthy hands off it," Harry snarled under his breath.**

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Sirius nodded sagely.

"Why don't you shut your mouth for once, Black?" Severus warned.

**"****Shh!"**

**Snape seized the branch Lupin had used to freeze the tree, prodded the knot, and vanished from view as he put on the cloak.**

**"****So that's it," said Hermione quietly. "We're all down there… and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again…"**

"Strange," Kingsley said thoughtfully.

"What is?" Tonks asked.

"It's just that events in life are very complex, and the way one event is interwoven with multiple others makes changing any one event highly risky," Kingsley said thoughtfully. "For instance, Severus came into the Shrieking Shack, heard some of the conversation, revealed himself, but then they stunned him. What if Harry had successfully retrieved the Cloak and then Severus went barging into the Shack? With their wands put away, he could've overpowered Sirius and Remus before their past self heard the whole story or got to see Pettigrew with their own eyes?"

Kingsley gave a quick glance at Severus and thought, _'And what if the information Severus heard in the Shack under the Cloak did somehow affect him positively?' _But instead of saying this out loud he went on, "See how complex time travel is? It's better to let him have the Cloak."

He ignored the grumpy look on Sirius's face.

"That is deep, Kingsley," Tonks said to him.

"Don't mean I have to like it," Sirius said grumpily.

"Also," Kingsley added with a glance at Remus, "I was wondering if the Marauder's Map had picked up both forms of Harry and Hermione, or were their time-traveler selves just not moving when you both were looking at it?"

"Where they were moving at the time?" Remus asked as he thought it over. "The map doesn't show people unless they are moving remember? It would be too confusing otherwise. Nor does it show what's in the Forest. Besides, I don't remember seeing them anyway."

"Good to know," Kingsley stated.

**She took the end of Buckbeak's rope and tied it securely around the nearest tree, then sat down on the dry ground, arms around her knees.**

**"****Harry, there's something I don't understand… Why didn't the Dementors get Sirius? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out… there were so many of them…"**

'_That's what I want to know,'_ Sirius thought, getting more frustrated every second.

**Harry sat down too. He explained what he'd seen; how, as the nearest Dementor had lowered its mouth to Harry's, a large silver something had come galloping across the lake and forced the Dementors to retreat.**

**Hermione's mouth was slightly open by the time Harry had finished.**

"That must've been hard to hear. She could've been Kissed as well," Molly whimpered at the thought.

**"****But what was it?"**

**"****There's only one thing it could have been, to make the Dementors go," said Harry. "A real Patronus. A powerful one."**

"It was a very powerful Patronus," muttered Severus, causing Albus and Remus to smile, and Albus's eyes to twinkle brightly as we continued.

**"****But who conjured it?"**

Severus and many others leaned forward wanting to know who Harry thought it was.

"That's what I want to know," Tonks and Sirius both said at the same time before they smirk at each other.

**Harry didn't say anything. He was thinking back to the person he'd seen on the other bank of the lake. He knew who he thought it had been… but how could it have been?**

"Who did he think it was?" Tonks asked eagerly as Albus's eyes then saddened.

**"****Didn't you see what they looked like?" said Hermione eagerly. "Was it one of the teachers?"**

**"****No," said Harry. "He wasn't a teacher."**

"Harry, for God's sake, don't beat around the bush," said Sirius exasperated. "Just tell us who you thought it was!"

**"****But it must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those Dementors away… If the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn't it light him up? Couldn't you see —?"**

**"****Yeah, I saw him," said Harry slowly. "But… maybe I imagined it… I wasn't thinking straight… I passed out right afterward…"**

**"****Who did you think it was?"**

"Yeah, spill it already," Tonks almost laughed.

**"****I think —" Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. "I think it was my dad."**

There was a stunned silence. Sirius started at the book in Albus's hands, and he glanced at Albus's face as if he was sure he heard wrong.

'_Close,'_ Albus thought sadly. _'But not quite.'_

"Could you uh- could you repeat that?" Sirius asked, slowly, and Albus obliged.

_**"**__**I think —" Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. "I think it was my dad."**_

"He thought he saw James?" Sirius repeated in a small voice.

"Yes," Albus answered simply.

Arthur slowly shook his head, frowning. "But how can that be? It doesn't make any sense," he said quietly, and Minerva bit her lip. "That's impossible."

"James is dead," Tonks said confused, though not unkindly. "How could he be there? Why did he think that?"

"If James was still alive, he would have contacted Harry a long time ago and wouldn't have left him alone at the Dursleys for so long. So how could it have been him?" Sirius asked, trying hard not to let the ray of hope rise in him.

"It wasn't James, and I am certain it will be explained soon," Albus answered unhappily.

Everyone was quite for a few more minutes, and Molly said uncertainly, "Harry probably wanted it to be him, or something… I mean, Sirius had just offered him a home…?"

'_The only way I could think of if the person looked like James,'_ Mad-Eye thought before the answer came to him. The only person who would is… It was a Potter. Just the wrong one…

'_Dangerous indeed,'_ he thought with a grin.

**Harry glanced up at Hermione and saw that her mouth was fully open now. She was gazing at him with a mixture of alarm and pity.**

**"****Harry, your dad's — well — dead," she said quietly.**

"Very tactful," Tonks said darkly.

"Yeah, I think he knows that," Sirius snapped irritated.

**"****I know that," said Harry quickly.**

**"****You think you saw his ghost?"**

"No," said Sirius sadly. "He never would've made Harry suffer like that at the Dursleys otherwise."

"And he wouldn't have been able to summon a Patronus," Arthur stated. "Ghosts can't use magic."

"Besides," Remus smiled softly. "James would never choose to be a ghost. He couldn't live like that."

Severus snorted. "James Potter didn't have the power to produce that Patronus anyway, Potter must have been imagining."

Albus gave Severus a stern look. "Severus, that's enough," he said softly. Severus looked away, but was still convinced that Potter was crazy.

**"****I don't know… no… he looked solid…"**

**"****But then —"**

**"****Maybe I was seeing things," said Harry. "But… from what I could see… it looked like him… I've got photos of him…"**

**Hermione was still looking at him as though worried about his sanity.**

"That would be reassuring," Sirius said grimly.

**"****I know it sounds crazy," said Harry flatly. **

"Not crazy," Albus shook his head. "Just wishful and sad. But there's nothing wrong with wanting to see those you love again." Ariana's face flashed in his mind's eye for a brief second and Albus's heart felt as though someone was trying to squeeze the life out of him.

"I know the feeling," Sirius said bitterly. He knew the feeling of wanting to see James again… even just once more for only a few minutes. Just enough to say sorry…

**He turned to look at Buckbeak, who was digging his beak into the ground, apparently searching for worms. But he wasn't really watching Buckbeak.**

**He was thinking about his father and about his father's three oldest friends… Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs… Had all four of them been out on the grounds tonight? **

"In a way, yes," Remus said, smiling gently, so quietly that no one hear him.

**Wormtail had reappeared this evening when everyone had thought he was dead… Was it so impossible his father had done the same?**

"Well, yes it is, Harry," said Sirius miserably biting his bottom lip. "Peter never left a body… but James did. And there's no way that he would have left you alone for twelve years if he was alive." He knew that he was right… but he wished he wasn't. He wished there was a way for James to be with Harry. To have driven those Dementors away from his son just for that moment. To have been given the chance to protect Harry one last time, but it wasn't possible. He shook his head with a slow sigh, and ran his hand down his face.

**Had he been seeing things across the take? The figure had been too far away to see distinctly… yet he had felt sure, for a moment, before he'd lost consciousness…**

**The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Hermione sat with her face turned toward the Willow, waiting.**

**And then, at last, after over an hour…**

"I couldn't have done that," Tonks said. "I'd lose my mind being forced to wait."

"Patience is a mark of a good Auror," Mad-Eye barked at her.

"Then what happened to you?" Tonks demanded and he growled at her.

**"****Here we come!" Hermione whispered.**

**She and Harry got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head. They saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Hermione… then the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Harry and Black. They all began to walk toward the castle.**

**Harry's heart was starting to beat very fast. He glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon…**

Remus winced at the reminder for the millionth time and ran his hands through his hair again. "How could I have forgotten to take the most important potion I needed?"

"You were concerned for your student's safety and saw that someone you thought was a friend was still alive," Tonks said firmly as she laced her fingers with his own. "If you hadn't shown up in the first place then Harry might have done something really stupid."

Remus tried to smile back, but it was impossible. He had always hated that full moon. Everything about it was balanced… perfect… but deadly.

Molly's eyes widened and she bit back a gasp. She didn't particularly want to point it out, but if Harry and Hermione were where she thought they were, then that would mean that they would be directly in Remus's path when he ran into the forest. Hoping she was wrong, Albus read on:

**"****Harry," Hermione muttered as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do…"**

**"****So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again…" said Harry quietly.**

"Yes," Kingsley said despondently. "I'm afraid that there's nothing they could've done about that. But their top priority was to get Sirius to safety."

Severus's hands clenched tightly at what he was hearing. If nothing else he was going to at least give Potter a detention when he returned to the castle.

**"****How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" snapped Hermione. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to be doing anything else!"**

**"****All right!"**

'_On the other hand, perhaps some messing with time and events might have been worth it with Pettigrew,'_ thought Mad-Eye resentfully. _'In spite of all the dangers, nabbing that rat might have spared everyone.'_

**The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement —**

**"****There goes Lupin," Hermione whispered. "He's transforming."**

**"****Hermione!" said Harry suddenly. "We've got to move!"**

**"****We mustn't, I keep telling you —"**

**"****Not to interfere! Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!"**

"Oh, my God!" said Remus softly, horror-struck. "No… oh, no… I'm going to head straight towards them. They were in my path."

Molly and everyone else tensed once again, and she bit her lip hard again and actually drew some blood.

"They'll be fine," said Sirius confidently, though also anxious. "They'll find somewhere else to hide—they aren't just going to wait and let you come running at them."

"But where will they…?" Tonks began but Albus decided to spare Remus—who was looking close to being sick.

**Hermione gasped.**

**"****Quick!" she moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Dementors will be coming any moment —"**

**"****Back to Hagrid's!" Harry said. "It's empty now — come on!"**

They all sighed with relief, glad that they would be safe at least for the moment.

**They ran as fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them. They could hear the werewolf howling behind them…**

"Hurry, Harry, Hermione… get out of there," Molly whimpered and Remus looked like a ghost; he thought the near misses were over. He swayed slightly where he sat and Tonks grasped his shoulder with her free hand to steady them.

"They're fine, remember?" she consoled him softly. "Just keep telling yourself that."

**The cabin was in sight; Harry skidded to the door, wrenched it open, and Hermione and Buckbeak flashed past him; Harry threw himself in after them and bolted the door. Fang the boarhound barked loudly.**

**"****Shh, Fang, it's us!" said Hermione, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quieten him. "That was really close!" she said to Harry.**

"Thank Merlin," Minerva whispered, letting out a small exhale of relief.

Remus shook his head. How could he have put them in so much danger?

**"****Yeah…"**

**Harry was looking out of the window. It was much harder to see what was going on from here. Buckbeak seemed very happy to find himself back inside Hagrid's house. He lay down in front of the fire, folded his wings contentedly, and seemed ready for a good nap.**

**"****I think I'd better go outside again, you know," said Harry slowly. "I can't see what's going on — we won't know when it's time —"**

"He just wants to see if it really was James," Sirius said sadly.

"But it couldn't have been. So then who was it?!" Tonks demanded.

"You're about to find out," Albus answered..

**Hermione looked up. Her expression was suspicious.**

"I wouldn't trust him either," Minerva noted, with a nod. "Not after everything he said about going after Peter. She most likely saw right through him."

"She knows him very well," Albus agreed.

**"****I'm not going to try and interfere," said Harry quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?"**

**"****Well… okay, then… I'll wait here with Buckbeak… but Harry, be careful — there's a werewolf out there — and the Dementors."**

**Harry stepped outside again and edged around the cabin. He could hear yelping in the distance. That meant the Dementors were closing in on Sirius… He and Hermione would be running to him any moment…**

"Did the Dementors know he was there?" Molly asked in worry.

"I don't think so," Kingsley said in disgust. "I think that they were too occupied with their… prey at that point."

Sirius stiffened at this. Though he had tried, he couldn't stop the small blossom of hope forming in his chest, even though he knew it was pointless to hear that his best friend might still be alive.

**Harry stared out toward the lake, his heart doing a kind of drumroll in his chest… Whoever had sent that Patronus would be appearing at any moment…**

**For a fraction of a second he stood, irresolute, in front of Hagrid's door. You must not be seen. But he didn't want to be seen. He wanted to do the seeing… He had to know…**

Sirius looked down. It so was cruel… That James and Lily didn't get to spend more time with Harry; his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his skin and felt blood beginning to stain his hands. And for what? All because of Wormtail was nothing but a coward. He was going to get Wormtail back for this if it was the last thing he ever did.

**And there were the Dementors. They were emerging out of the darkness from every direction, gliding around the edges of the lake… They were moving away from where Harry stood, to the opposite bank… He wouldn't have to get near them…**

'_That must've helped casting it,'_ Albus thought absentmindedly before he was drawn back into the story.

**Harry began to run. He had no thought in his head except his father… If it was him… if it really was him… he had to know, had to find out…**

**The lake was coming nearer and nearer, but there was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, he could see tiny glimmers of silver — his own attempts at a Patronus —**

**There was a bush at the very edge of the water. Harry threw himself behind it, peering desperately through the leaves. On the opposite bank, the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished. A terrified excitement shot through him — any moment now —**

"Why isn't anyone coming this time?" Tonks asked anxious.

**"****Come on!" he muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Dad, come on —"**

"It can't be him, Harry," Sirius sighed miserably.

**But no one came. Harry raised his head to look at the circle of Dementors across the lake. One of them was lowering its hood. It was time for the rescuer to appear — but no one was coming to help this time —**

"It's not James," Remus said quietly.

"Yeah, he'd be there now if he saw his own son in trouble like that," said Sirius dejectedly, feeling the need to kick himself.. Sometime hope caused more pain than despair.

**And then it hit him — he understood. He hadn't seen his father he had seen himself —**

"No!" cried Severus as Albus and Remus smiled—confirming that the 'powerful caster' that Severus compliment was indeed Harry Potter.

"Of course!" Kingsley gasped slightly, his eyes widening. "That makes perfect sense! He looks like James! He had seen himself, that's why he thought it was his father."

Albus smiled, nodding his head only once.

"Harry cast that Patronus?" Minerva asked, her mouth agape in shock. "He cast a Patronus powerful enough to repel at least one hundred Dementors…? I knew that he could summon a Patronus but one that powerful…?"

Sirius grinned, feeling the happiness well up inside of him despite the pain of confirming that it wasn't James.

"That's my boy," he noted with pride.

"Incredible," Kingsley said, shaking his head.

Severus was still looking unconvinced—refusing to believe it until he got some proof.

Mad-Eye looked at Dumbledore and said, "You said that those two would be saving more than one innocent life. But you never even hinted that included their own. This is deep. How did you know that their own lives needed saving? Even more importantly, how did Potter go back and save his own life if he died the first time?"

"But he didn't die," Tonks told him.

He grinned darkly, twisting his face again. "You say he didn't die—that he came back from the future so he could come back and save himself?"

"What?" Sirius demanded for the hundredth time.

"Makes your brain hurt, doesn't it?" he asked, clearly enjoying himself at their confusion.

"But…" Remus stated. "Does that mean the time travelers were there the whole time before the time travelers time traveled?"

"Let's just stop talking about it," Sirius yelled, he was quickly getting a headache from just talking about it and just wanted to get this chapter over with already.

**Harry flung himself out from behind the bush and pulled out his wand.**

**"****EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he yelled.**

"Can't be him… he was always so mediocre in talent…" Severus was muttering under his breath.

"Who else could it have been Mr. Know-it-all?" Tonks asked sweetly. "You were out cold. And you really think that he's mediocre after everything he's done?"

"Nothing but luck," he snapped at her, stubbornly.

**And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. **

Sirius could only smirk at Snape's horror and astonishment. Ok, it was worth having his old rival here just to see that stunned look on his face.

**He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse. It was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming Dementors… Now it was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness… They were gone.**

"YES! YES! YES! WELL DONE, HARRY!" cried Sirius madly. "My godson! My own godson can produce a Patronus like that! How many godfathers can say that?"

"Don't know," Tonks laughed. "6? Maybe 7 tops?"

"Oh, be quiet," he roared with laughter. Some were now laughing at the beaming smile on Sirius's face and let him brag about that until he claimed own. They hadn't seen him so happy since they read about the Quidditch final.

"Very impressive," Kingsley said stunned; he would never have imaged a third year being able to do that.

**The Patronus turned. It was cantering back toward Harry across the still surface of the water. It wasn't a horse. It wasn't a unicorn, either. It was a stag. It was shining brightly as the moon above… it was coming back to him…**

"Prongs…" Sirius said, his smile fading slightly, his eyes also wide and he was startled to discover sudden tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"He really is his Patronus," Remus said softly, smiling sadly, and putting a hand on Sirius's shoulder in quiet comfort. "James did save him. In a way, a part of him was protecting his son. Even now… even after all this…"

Sirius smiled back weakly and nodded, unable to comprehend the overwhelming emotion forming inside of him. Severus looked as if he was about to be sick.

**It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realized…"Prongs," he whispered.**

Albus smiled faintly, feeling something grip his heart again.

**But as his trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished.**

**Harry stood there, hand still outstretched. Then, with a great leap of his heart, he heard hooves behind him. He whirled around and saw Hermione dashing toward him, dragging Buckbeak behind her.**

**"****What did you do?" she said fiercely. "You said you were only going to keep a lookout!"**

"Oh, well, he's just saved you from a Dementor's Kiss, but other than that, nothing too important," said Sirius sarcastically.

**"****I just saved all our lives…" said Harry. "Get behind here behind this bush — I'll explain."**

**Hermione listened to what had just happened with her mouth open yet again.**

"Looks like he managed to shock her yet again," Remus chuckled slightly.

"Well, I'm guessing that it would be hard to stay mad at someone after that," Arthur joked, now that the danger was over.

**"****Did anyone see you?"**

**"****Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my dad! It's okay!"**

**"****Harry, I can't believe it… You conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those Dementors! That's very, very advanced magic."**

**"****I knew I could do it this time," said Harry, "because I'd already done it… Does that make sense?"**

"No…" half the room answered.

"Did Harry say he knew he could do it now because he had previously seen himself do it in the future? Huh?" Sirius asked completely lost.

"It's like a circle… a paradox, Harry always saved his past self with the Patronus so his future self always can," Minerva stated. "This paradox is called recursive reasoning—otherwise known as the chicken-and-egg theory."

When they continued to look lost, Mad-Eye barked, "Those of you who may not be familiar with the chicken-and-egg theory—it's _which came first… the chicken or the egg?_ And how do you know?"

"Always making it simple, eh, Mad-Eye?" Tonks teased and he glared at her in frustration.

**"****I don't know — Harry, look at Snape!"**

"Too bad. I preferred him unconscious," sighed Sirius. "Ah well. Can't have everything in life."

"Watch yourself, Black," Severus warned.

**Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione, and Black onto them. A fourth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle.**

**"****Right, it's nearly time," said Hermione tensely, looking at her watch. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing…"**

"And now here comes the hard part," Sirius said quietly.

"I thought that we already went through the hard part?" Molly moaned, not sure how much more she could take.

"They have to do it in perfect timing to pull it off without being caught," Minerva said fearfully.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Tonks said determinably not noticing the foul look on Severus's face.

**They waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to them whispered in the breeze. Buckbeak, bored, was ferreting for worms again.**

**"****Do you reckon he's up there yet?" said Harry, checking his watch. He looked up at the castle and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.**

"That's it, come on, Harry—get ready!" said Sirius, tensing up again. Feelings of new hope rising strongly inside him, forgetting that this already happened for a moment.

**"****Look!" Hermione whispered. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"**

**Harry stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.**

"Macnair's still there?" Mad-Eye asked in surprise. "Why haven't the Ministry swine left?"

"I think that they were plotting how to catch an escaped Hippogriff before Severus showed up with all of them," Albus explained politely.

"HA! Good luck with that," Sirius laughed.

**"****Macnair!" said Harry. "The executioner! He's gone to get the Dementors! This is it, Hermione —"**

"Quickly," Molly urged, practically feeling her hair turn grey from all the stress.

"Get to that window before he comes back!" said Tonks and Remus; causing them both to jump in surprise—and Tonks smiling brightly, causing to Remus to blush again.

**Hermione put her hands on Buckbeak's back and Harry gave her a leg up. **

"Still the gentleman," cooed Sirius.

"Like I said, you could learn a lesson or two from him," Molly reminded him sweetly and he gave her an annoyed look.

**Then he placed his foot on one of the lower branches of the bush and climbed up in front of her. He pulled Buckbeak's rope back over his neck and tied it to the other side of his collar like reins.**

**"****Ready?" he whispered to Hermione. "You'd better hold on to me —"**

**He nudged Buckbeak's sides with his heels.**

**Buckbeak soared straight into the dark air. Harry gripped his flanks with his knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath them. Hermione was holding Harry very tight around the waist; he could hear her muttering, "Oh, no — I don't like this oh, I really don't like this —"**

"Of course not," Arthur chuckled. "She hates to even be on a broom. Why would she like a Hippogriff any better?"

**Harry urged Buckbeak forward. They were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle… Harry pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Buckbeak turned. Harry was trying to count the windows flashing past —**

Mad-Eye suddenly laughed. "Seventh floor… thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower…?" he asked. "Wasn't seven and thirteen on a vault somewhere?"

"You notice the strangest things, Mad-Eye," Tonks said in both exasperation and admiration.

**"****Whoa!" he said, pulling backward as hard as he could.**

**Buckbeak slowed down and they found themselves at a stop, unless you counted the fact that they kept rising up and down several feet as the Hippogriff beat his wings to remain airborne.**

**"****He's there!" Harry said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window. He reached out, and as Buckbeak's wings fell, was able to tap sharply on the glass.**

"He's there!" said Tonks excitedly as Severus barred his teeth furiously. "You're escaping!"

"And gave me a freaking heart attack in the process," Sirius mock grumbled, but he was smiling.

**Black looked up. Harry saw his jaw drop.**

Sirius laughed loudly.

"So that was how it happened," Minerva said shaking her head in astonishment. Amazed that they had pulled off the impossible once again.

"It takes a lot to surprise me, but let me tell you that sure did it! There I was, sitting there, had just accepted that I was about to lose my soul and suddenly the two of them were just… _there_, at the window," Sirius mused. "I thought that I had finally cracked."

"They truly have a gift at making dramatic entrances," Minerva nodded. "I think they like surprising people."

**He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.**

"Well, yeah, of course it was," Mad-Eye rolled his eyes. "They're not exactly going to leave it open, were they?"

**"****Stand back!" Hermione called to him, and she took out her wand, still gripping the back of Harry's robes with her left hand.**

**"****Alohomora!"**

**The window sprang open.**

Mad-Eye blinked in revelation before shook his head in disappointment. "Can't believe that the Ministry overlooked that spell!" he barked in annoyance.

"Well, they probably weren't expecting anyone to come through the window," Molly pointed out fairly.

"People tend to overlook even the simplest of spells," Albus added.

"Good news for me," Sirius said grinning. "They must've gone spare when they saw the window was open and I was gone. God, I give half the gold in my fault to have seen the look on their faces."

**"****How — how —?" said Black weakly, staring at the Hippogriff.**

"Because they're brilliant, that's how!" said Sirius proudly.

"I'd love to have seen your face at that moment," said Kingsley with a laugh.

"Yes," Remus teased. "And here you are, lost for words. I never would have thought it possible."

"Yeah, well, you guys never did anything as astounding as that," Sirius pointed out.

**"Get on — there's not much time," said Harry, gripping Buckbeak firmly on either side of his sleek neck to hold him steady. "You've got to get out of here — the Dementors are coming — Macnair's gone to get them."**

**Black placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak's back and pull himself onto the Hippogriff behind Hermione.**

**"****Okay, Buckbeak, up!" said Harry, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower — come on."**

"He only flew Buckbeak once and suddenly he's an expert," Tonks grinned.

"Naw, Buckbeak just likes him," Sirius stated, with a grateful pat on Buckbeak's head. "Thanks for that, mate," he told the Hippogriff as he went off to sleep again.

**The Hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upward again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements, and Harry and Hermione slid off him at once.**

**"****Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Harry panted. "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you're gone."**

"It's just too bad I couldn't take him with me," Sirius said regretfully.

"You didn't really want to take a child with you on the run did you?" Arthur said as Molly shuddered at the thought.

"It was tempting," he admitting sadly.

"Sirius…" Molly said slowly and he waved a hand at her.

"I know," he told her. "I know. You don't need to tell me."

**Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head.**

**"****What happened to the other boy? Ron?" croaked Sirius.**

Sirius remembered the relief he felt. He had liked Ron almost instantly. Mostly because of what Ron had said about having to kill him before he could get to Harry. It was almost like seeing a younger version of himself.

**"****He's going to be okay. He's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better. Quick — go —"**

**But Black was still staring down at Harry.**

**"****How can I ever thank —"**

"Sheesh, Sirius. Now, of all times, you decided to make small talk," Remus laughed. "Just get out of there!"

"I don't think that you getting caught would've been a good way to thank them," Kingsley smiled.

"I didn't want to say goodbye so soon," Sirius said turning red. It was hard to say goodbye like that… it wasn't even a proper goodbye anyway…

**"****GO!" Harry and Hermione shouted together.**

"Go on, Sirius, they need to get back to the Hospital wing!" said Molly urgently.

"Well, I didn't know that did I?" he demanded.

**Black wheeled Buckbeak around, facing the open sky.**

**"****We'll see each other again," he said. "You are — truly your father's son, Harry…"**

"Damn right, he is!" said Sirius, agreeing with his past self and smiled widely. He was proud. Of Harry's judgment, of his courage and kindness… and he knew that James would've been proud of him as well.

Severus was looking meaner than ever. He glared at Albus who raised his eyebrows and said to him, "Severus. You know now that Sirius was innocent. He would've suffered a fate worse than death. And you are more upset over the fact that you didn't get an award?"

Severus flushed at Albus's words—but he gave him a look that clearly stated that they weren't done talking about this.

**He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more… The Hippogriff took off into the air… He and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them… then a cloud drifted across the moon… They were gone.**

"That's it," Albus said and he checked the next page. "That's the end of the chapter. One chapter left to go."

"Good," Tonks said with a groan. "I'm sick of this year already! That was the most confusing chapter we've read yet. It gave me a headache trying to keep up with it. I hate time travel."

"Tell me about it," Sirius agreed, rubbing his head.

"So in the end they didn't really change time, they were always there," Albus said calmly as he turned the page to see that the next picture was of a tiny owl with an envelope that was so large that larger than the owl itself. He smiled to see that Harry's name was on it…

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, it was a conundrum paradox we were talking about," Minerva answered insttead. "It means that point A had to happen because point B all ready exist."

"Huh?" Sirius croaked. "Speak English, Professor."

"It's a circle that has no beginning or ending," Albus explained simply.

"Right, I think we should just move on now," Sirius said still confused. Severus sneered at him and Sirius barred his teeth right back.

"Sounds good," Remus said quickly before another fight broke out.

"Only one chapter to go," Tonks sighed as leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. "I can't wait."

Albus turned the page, "May I?" he asked and when no one objected, Albus finally started on the last chapter. "**Chapter 22:** **Owl post again" **

**(I thought that I would make Sirius not know anything about time travel since he had been in Azkaban for all that time. Thought that it would make things more interesting. Only one more chapter and the epilogue left to go! Hope that you all enjoyed it, and the next chapter will be up as soon as it's finished. It's almost all over with this book and then we'll move straight onto the Goblet of Fire! Until next time…)**


	31. Owl Post Again

**(Copyright belongs to J.K. Rowling! I own nothing)**

**Chapter 28: Owl Post Again**

Albus turned the page, "May I?" he asked and when no one objected, Albus finally started on the last chapter. "**Chapter 22:** **Owl post again**."

"Owl Post Again?" Tonks repeated. "I'm a little tired of all the déjà vu! What does it mean this time?"

"Creative chapter name," Mad-Eye groaned. Now that the interesting stuff was finally over, he had a feeling that things were going to go downhill from exciting to boring very quickly. He hoped that this last chapter was going to be short.

"So Harry's getting post again?" Molly asked curiously. "From who?"

"We've come full circle," Albus smiled, "And as for who…" he glanced at Sirius who was smiling. "I have a pretty good idea."

"Well, it was a good thing last time," Tonks said thoughtfully, straining her memory to think back. "Back in chapter 1, remember? Maybe it'll end on a happy note."

"Well, keep reading already!" Sirius moaned impatiently.

**"Harry!"**

**Hermione was tugging at his sleeve, staring at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us **

"Oh, they have to hurry!" Molly gasped, forgetting how much risk the two of them were in.

— **before Dumbledore locks the door —"**

"What will happen if they don't get back in time?" Arthur asked Albus anxiously. Albus looked worried—wondering if he should be honest or not.

"Nothing good," he said simply. He then read out quickly before they could ask any further questions:

**"Okay," said Harry, wrenching his gaze from the sky, "let's go…"**

**They slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.**

**"… only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"**

"No, because I'm not there," Sirius said happily. Oh, he would have given anything to have seen the look on Snape's face when he saw that empty room with the window wide open. He gave Snape an innocent smile… at least he hoped it was innocent… but judging from his foul glare, Sirius guessed that he looked smug instead.

"Yes, how dare he wish save an innocent man?" Remus asked coldly, he turned to glower at Severus who was looking increasingly sour.

**"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. **

"And it is about to become more once they find out that you're not there anymore," Tonks said with vindictive pleasure. Oh, it must've been so humiliating for the Ministry to find their criminal had escaped yet again. She hoped that it knocked their egos down a few pegs.

"Well, I try," Sirius laughed.

"So let me see if I've got this straight," Molly demanded in outrage. "Fudge rather have an innocent man _Kissed_ than announce that the Ministry made a mistake?"

Kingsley chuckled humorlessly. "He'd rather do _anything_ than announce that the Ministry made a mistake. Don't tell me you haven't forgotten all the lies that he's been publishing all this year."

"Which is why the Wizarding world is going to hell in a hand basket," Mad-Eye muttered conversationally. "We need leadership," he slammed his staff down on the floor. "And look at what we have to deal with? We're stuck with a scared weakling in charge."

"Mad-Eye," Sirius said gravely, "I couldn't agree more."

**I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last… **

"Sorry to tell you this," Tonks laughed, and rubbed her hands together eagerly. "But I'm afraid that you've let him slip away again."

"What I wouldn't give to have seen the looks on their faces," Sirius grinned longingly. It might've been worth those twelve years to have seen the complete dumbfounded look they all must've had.

**I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape… and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him…"**

Everyone scoffed at that, _as a certain someone_, had a muscle going in their cheek. Really though, no one else could remember hearing something so ridiculous—knowing how well Harry and Severus hated each other.

"Oh yeah, that'll be the day," Sirius stated sarcastically as Buckbeak lowered his head into Sirius's hands. Sirius would eat Buckbeak if Harry ever admitted that Severus saved him.

"He doesn't seem to care at all about innocent lives that are at risk… just his popularity," Kingsley said bitterly. How on earth this man ever became Minister he will never know.

Sirius glowered at Severus. "And I'm sure that you told everyone I was guilty and how you couldn't wait for me to be _Kissed_, I suppose?" he added, his voice brittle with anger.

"Defending myself," Severus said heavily, "That is what I thought."

"Only because you were too stubborn to _listen_ otherwise!" he spat back.

**Harry clenched his teeth. **

"I don't blame you for that, Harry," Sirius said sympathetically. He, personally, would rather have red-hot pokers nailed into his head than ever admit that Snape was a hero.

**He caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed Harry and Hermione's hiding place. Their footsteps died away. Harry and Hermione waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor — then they heard a cackling ahead.**

**"Peeves!" Harry muttered, grabbing Hermione's wrist. "In here!"**

Molly was looking scared again and biting her nails. "They're already cutting it pretty close. Why does that annoying pain always show up right when you don't want him?"

"Because that would be a considered good thing," Remus said as if it was obvious. "And causing discord and chaos is what Peeves does best. That's the reason I rather have him on our side."

**They tore into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.**

"Oh?" Sirius asked with a grin. "First a broom cupboard and now a deserted classroom?"

Molly cut him off. "Enough, there's nothing like that going on between them."

"I think it's interesting," Sirius smiled. "And how do you know?"

"Just because it sounds like something you would do, Sirius…" she began but Albus felt that they were getting side-tracked and continued reading. But it wasn't long before they were interrupted again.

**"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish off Sirius…" She checked her watch.**

"And here I thought Peeves liked me," Sirius said with a frown, looking conflicted. He remembered all the trouble that he had helped to cause…

Remus looked at his friend's disturbed expression, and said firmly, "I don't think that's what he was laughing about, Padfoot. Peeves does like you—or at the least respects you—and I doubt that he would laugh about how you would be given the _Kiss_. That poltergeist might have a sick sense of humor sometimes, but he's not _that_ cruel. I'm willing to bet he heard about Buckbeak escaping and he thought it was funny how he escaped right underneath everyone's nose."

"Peeves actually _respects_ you?" Tonks echoed in amazement.

"Why on earth would that come as a surprise to you?" joked Remus weakly before he grinned. "Peeves loved all the pranks and tricks the Marauders pulled on everyone. I'm willing to bet that if it wasn't about Buckbeak, then he must've found out that you escaped and thought that you played your best prank yet… and is anticipating what hilarious chaos that will cause for the Ministry."

Most sniggered at the very thought.

"I think that it was more about Buckbeak," Albus answered with a chuckle. "After all, Sirius only just escaped, and unless he had seen Sirius and Buckbeak fly off through a window or something, he wouldn't have known what happened yet."

"That makes more sense," Sirius said cheering up.

**"Three minutes, Harry!"**

**They waited until Peeves's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.**

**"Hermione — what'll happen — if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry panted.**

"What _would_ happen?" Molly asked nervously. "You didn't want to say it before… but I need to know…"

Albus sighed in resignation. "They wouldn't be in any danger," he said slowly, and saw some of them even relax until he went on, "But they would've ended up in some serious trouble, with the law, I mean. They've used the Time-Turner illegally to allow a convicted criminal and an animal sentenced to death to escape. If they didn't get back to the hospital wing in time, their past selves would've vanished from the inside, and I would've been forced to lock them out, and then everyone will know that they were involved."

As they all realized the consequences of Harry's and Hermione's actions, Molly's eyes went wide with horror and seemed to be having trouble breathing. Arthur—who was shaking—knowing that the kids could've been sent to prison if they had been caught; took Molly's hand to comfort himself as well as her. Albus looked at them kindly and added, "But they did get back in time, everyone will think that they had been locked in hospital the whole time, which gave them the perfect alibi and no one would be none-the-wiser."

Kingsley smiled a little as he nodded, satisfied; but Severus's fingers were fletching slightly as though he was fighting to hold himself back from hitting something.

Tonks clapped her hands together and said, "So all they have to do is just keep running and pray they don't get spotted until they get back to the hospital. Easy right?"

Remus looked at Albus and asked, "Even if they had been caught, you would've found a way to get them out of it wouldn't you?"

"I would most certainly try," he assured them. "There's no way I would let something I ordered them to do get them into trouble."

"Thanks," Molly and Arthur said gratefully.

**"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!"**

**They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay — I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on, Harry!"**

**They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.**

"Come on," Molly urged, absently bouncing her feet up and down, unable to keep still due to the suspense. Her hand was squeezing her husband's so tightly that he was quickly losing feeling…

**"I am going to lock you in," they heard him saying. "it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."**

"It's déjà vu all over again," Tonks giggled. "Hee-hee. Time travel is so weird. Here's one thing I want to know: since the Harry and Hermione who have just come back have already fixed everything, where are the Harry and Hermione who are about to leave going and what will they find?"

"Actually, the two timelines converge again when a full cycle is completed," Kingsley explained calmly.

"I hate time travel," Sirius muttered to himself.

**Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Harry and Hermione ran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. "Well?" he said quietly.**

**"We did it!" said Harry breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak…"**

**Dumbledore beamed at them.**

"It seems like they've impressed you once again," Remus said lightly. "And we all know that's not an easy thing to do. But they sure seem to have a flair for it."

Albus smiled serenely. "I was most definitely impressive—and I am pleased at how they did it. I'm glad that everything turned out in the end."

"Not to mention highly illegal," Minerva reminded them all firmly. "Tell me, were you happy that they broke the law?"

"I prefer to think of it as saving an innocent man and wondrous creature from terrible fates," he said with a nod to Sirius and the sleeping Hippogriff in front of them.

**"Well done. I think —" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too — get inside — I'll lock you in —"**

"It certainly was a strange thing, having spoken to the two of them inside the hospital wing not a few seconds before and then turning around and seeing them there," Albus chuckled.

"Good now they have the perfect alibi," Tonks said and Severus looked furious as he was practically fuming at Albus. "No one can say that they were out of the hospital wing for any length of time and they won't be blamed," Tonks went on.

Mad-Eye was laughing evilly. "They'll find them in the hospitable wing where they left them a moment ago; how could they suspect them?"

"So now it's like they never left," Sirius laughed, shooting Severus a superior look.

"But they just left again…" Remus began before Tonks yelled out, "Don't you dare bring it up again!"

**Harry and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. **

"He missed the big adventure," Tonks laughed. "I'd love to have heard how they explained what happened. He probably thought that they were crazy."

**As the lock clicked behind them, Harry and Hermione crept back to their own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.**

**"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"**

**She was in a very bad mood. Harry and Hermione thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly.**

"I don't see why they wouldn't," Remus chuckled, shaking his head in amusement at the many memories of being forced to stay in the hospital bed until she was satisfied he was healthy. It was always best to do as she told you… especially when she was in a bad mood.

**Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. But Harry could hardly swallow. He and Hermione were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling… **

"What were they worried about?" Arthur asked. "They got back before anyone realized they were gone…?"

"I think they were anxious how everyone would react when they saw Sirius was gone," Albus explained.

"Everyone was so angry," Minerva said as she raised her eyebrows at Severus who was wearing a very ugly look—remembering how he had taken the news.

**And then, as they both took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them…**

"Wonder who that was?" Tonks asked with sarcasm and smirking in satisfaction.

"Looks like you just noticed that I'm not there anymore," Sirius offered smugly. "I guess you lost your precious Order of Merlin. Don't know why you would want though."

"Why you…" Severus began, but Albus quickly went on.

**"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.**

**Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.**

**"Really — they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"**

"I think they did wake everyone up," Minerva said sourly; remembering how Severus had tirade through the school—screaming so loudly that she could've sworn that they woke the dead from all the noise they were making.

**Harry was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer —**

**"He must have Disapparated, Severus.**

"You can't do that," Mad-Eye scoffed and rolled his magical eye in annoyance. "He really is an idiot. How could he not know that you can't Apparate or Disapparate inside Hogwarts?"

"Wow. Even the minister doesn't know that," Tonks sighed, shaking her head. "Hermione… and knows that and she's only a teenager!"

"That doesn't surprise me," Sirius shrugged. "I mean, I think that being dense is a requirement for Minister these days."

**We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out —"**

"_When this gets out…_" Remus repeated bitterly; this man is clearly a politician. "All he cares about is what the press will think."

"He cares more about his stupid reputation than he does the fact that Sirius escaped," Tonks said shocked. "The man can't take any criticism can he?"

"Why are you so surprised?" Sirius asked again. "But on the bright side… this'll make him look like a complete idiot. I hope that he got some bad press over this."

"I got a question," Mad-Eye demanded irritated. "Why didn't they leave someone in the room?! Constant Vigilance! This is what happens to those who get their way too much. It makes you cocky."

"I'm not really sure but I think professor Dumbledore might have had something to do with it," Minerva said with a sly look at Albus who pretended not to notice, but a smile was threatening to break across his face. "Weren't you the one in charge of putting up wards to keep him from escaping?" she asked him

"My dear Minerva," he said lightly, not looking up from his spot on the page, "I honestly don't know what you are talking about."

**"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS — HAS — SOMETHING — TO — DO — WITH — POTTER!"**

"Hang on!" Tonks protested with a look up at Snape. "How can you blame Harry? No one saw them! Why would you assume that they did it? How do you know it's him?

"He did do it!" he snarled back.

"Yes," she said, "But you didn't know that for sure at the time. You didn't see them did you? You just jumped to blaming him without proof."

"Of course he would," Sirius shrugged in anger. "It's his way of life. When something goes wrong, blame Harry."

"Because it's always him," Severus said. "Haven't you noticed? And let me remind you all… he WAS the one responsible."

"True, but you don't think like that do you?" Sirius snapped back. "You're thinking of James. Not Harry. My godson is a scapegoat for you and that's enough for you to take it out on him."

"Gentlemen," Kingsley said wearily. "You both can settle this on your own time. We're almost done with this book. Let's get it over with before the sun goes down."

**"Severus — be reasonable — Harry has been locked up —"**

"That's right," Sirius laughed and clapped his hands together. "Be reasonable, Severus. Harry hasn't left that room!"

Severus looked like he would've loved nothing more than to rip Sirius's throat out.

**BAM.**

**The door of the hospital wing burst open.**

**Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. **

Everyone laughed at that while Severus was mentally beating himself up. Why didn't he notice how calm he was? Shouldn't that be a sign that maybe Dumbledore had something to do with it? Was it any wonder why the Ministry now hated him so much?

"You and me both, Albus," said Arthur laughing. "I'm enjoying myself as well."

**Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.**

**"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"**

"Honestly!" Molly huffed. "You can't just _accuse_ Harry without any proof!"

"But he did do it!" he yelled back.

"He helped save my soul, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Sirius said proudly.

**"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"**

**"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw —"**

**"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.**

Severus looked slightly alarmed at this; not realizing how mad he sounded at this point. He was just so certain that he had revenge against Black for all those years… only to find that he escaped at the last minute.

"Wow," Molly said, looking at him in slight disbelief. "You really were upset about this."

Now Mad-Eye let out a dark chuckle. "And against all logic, you were convinced that Potter did it," he said gruffly. "Isn't it amusing that you were actually right but had no way to prove it?"

Noticing the dangerous look on his Potions Master's face, Albus said calmly, "Now Severus. This was two years ago. There will be no point in punishing them now don't you agree?"

"Why not?" Severus hissed at him. "Seeing how you refuse to punish them, someone should!"

"What if it was you who was about to be fed to the Dementors?" Sirius demanded. "I'm sure that you would want someone to save you!"

**"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"**

Severus glared at everyone at those words… and as most of them were fighting to hold back their laughter. Others on the other hand didn't restrain themselves so.

"Oh, this is brilliant!" choked Sirius, before a fresh round of laughing took hold of him. He never thought he'd be so happy to see someone prank Snape besides him. But he never thought that it would be his own godson… he was so proud.

**"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT —"**

"Neither do you," Remus frowned, speaking for the first time in awhile. "You think he is the reincarnation of his father but he's not. You treat him like James…" he glanced at Sirius for a moment before he finished, "I know that it's easy to make that mistake… but Harry isn't James."

"How is it…?" Sirius commented, not noticing how Remus looked at him, "That you can insist Harry is a mediocre student that doesn't belong at Hogwarts and then turn around and say he's managed the impossible. I'm not sure what you think anymore…"

Severus scowled at both Marauders.

**"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. **

"Glad that someone is there to calm things down," Molly whispered to Arthur and he grinned a little.

**"Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"**

**"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"**

"The battle is won," Remus chuckled. "No one in their right mind would turn against Poppy if she was on Dumbledore's side."

The laughing continued and Severus was looking at the door, getting ready to leave.

**"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."**

Kingsley looked interested at the rare look into how Dumbledore's mind works. This time they have the advantage of actually knowing what Dumbledore knows, so they can observe how he plays with people. He actually tells Fudge and Severus how Sirius escaped, them being in two places at once, but in such a way that they have to dismiss it? Very interesting…

"Looks like you no one's listening, Snape," said Sirius lightly. "Now you know what it feels like not to have the chance to explain yourself with no proof."

"Wouldn't the other teachers know about Hermione's Time-Turner though?" Molly asked suddenly before Snape could snap back a reply. "And wouldn't Fudge? I mean he is the Minister…?"

Minerva shook her head. "I had to go through the Department of Mysteries in the Time department… not necessarily through Fudge. Though I don't think it had ever occurred to Fudge if he _did_ know. At the time, the only people that knew about the Time-Turner were myself and Dumbledore."

**Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.**

"And leave them alone!" hissed Molly fiercely. "They need their rest… after everything they went though; they'd be completely worn out!"

**"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. **

Everyone tried their hardest not to laugh at the look of indignation on Severus's face.

"Unbalanced," Tonks croaked out, having to bit her lip to stop herself from laughing outright—she couldn't help it… it just sounded so funny.

**"I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."**

"So would I," Sirius muttered—he still didn't trust Snape as far as he could pick up and throw Hagrid. What on earth did he say to Dumbledore to convince him he was on their side?

**"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."**

"_Sorry to disappoint you, but life __isn't__ fair_," Sirius muttered with a sneer that wasn't dissimilar to the one that Snape usually wore. "Isn't that what you always say at every Order meeting?"

**"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well… I'd better go and notify the Ministry…"**

"He only cares about his publicity!" Minerva said angrily. "It really doesn't matter if Sirius was guilty or not! He'll do whatever it takes to make him look good!"

"He's in politics," Mad-Eye answered bored. "You should expect no less."

"Not only that, but there are people who take advance of him," Arthur stated sadly. "He is very easy to manipulate. Not the best quality for the Minister of Magic to have."

**"And the Dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"**

"They should never have been allowed near the school anyway," Minerva said coldly, slamming her fist onto the arm of her chair in anger.

"Were the Dementors working on orders, or simply looking for a tasty snack?" Mad-Eye couldn't help but ask that. "Since they can' see, did they know they were attacking Potter, or did they think he was someone else? I think that this is a good example of how Fudge sorts his priorities here. He's far more concerned about his reputation than he is about the welfare of innocent lives."

"Thanks Mad-Eye," Tonks groaned. "Thank you for depressing us all. I'm sure that we all needed to hear that."

**"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy… Completely out of control… **

"When are they going to learn?" Arthur demanded exasperated. "You cannot control Dementors! What Fudge and the rest of them see in them, I'll never know."

"Dementors don't care who they attack!" said Remus uncharacteristically harsh. "They are the only creatures capable of destroying any form of life. I think that's why Fudge likes using them… he likes to think he has such powerful and dangerous creatures under his control."

"He's never had control though!" Molly yelled in fury. "Look at what happened here! If not for the Time-Turner, then Harry, Hermione, and Sirius would've lost their souls that night! And look at what happened last summer! They attacked Harry again! And to top it all off, the outbreak and now we have 12 of Voldemort's worst supporters out where innocent people are! How is that _under control_?!"

She took several deep breaths as the listened. Albus lay the book on his lap and applauded her lightly. "Well said, Molly," he told her as he clapped. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

She blushed as took several deep breaths to calm herself. Kingsley thought that over… what did cause those Dementors to go after Harry last summer? Once Albus finished clapping, he picked the book up again.

**no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight… Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance…"**

"He wouldn't dare!" Molly shrieked in panic.

"Molly, we would never let that happen," Albus soothed. "Besides, he was only kidding."

**"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry and Hermione.**

"He definitely would," Sirius agreed as everyone laughed in agreement.

"I wouldn't," Molly scowled stubbornly.

**As he and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.**

**There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.**

"Oh that's right," said Sirius quickly. "Ron was out cold… guess he missed all the excitement."

"Excitement?" Molly repeated incredulously. She was quite glad that her son hadn't been doing such a dangerous stunt.

**"What — what happened?" he groaned. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? **

"Most likely flying away on a stolen Hippogriff across England by this point," Sirius grinned happily with a grateful pat on Buckbeak's sleepy head.

**Where's Lupin? **

"Running around in the middle of the Forest at this point," Remus muttered, sounding slightly mocking.

**What's going on?"**

**Harry and Hermione looked at each other.**

**"You explain," said Harry, helping himself to some more chocolate.**

"I'm sure that she appreciated that," Tonks snorted. "How do you explain a day like that? _'Hey, Ron… sorry that you missed all the action. But see we went back in time to save Buckbeak, stop a hoard of Dementors sucking out our souls, and helped Sirius escape in the last three hours.' _Yeah, something tells me that he'll believe that."

**When Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Neither Ron nor Hermione felt like going, however, so they and Harry wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. **

"Somewhere in the open air at that point," Sirius sighed. "I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to be flying again."

"Where were you heading?" Tonks asked curious. "I mean, where would a convicted criminal go?"

"Oh, we were having a grand old time," Sirius smiled at the memories. "We headed south. Visited France… and by the beginning of summer we were enjoying the Spanish countryside. Nice place Spain… all sunny and warm."

He had enjoyed himself immensely being on the run. He sighed, he'd give anything to be able to go out and get some fresh air again.

**Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Harry lost the thread of the conversation as he looked across to the opposite bank. The stag had galloped toward him from there just last night…**

**A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them.**

**"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an, everythin' — **

"Hagrid will be happy once he hears the truth," Sirius laughed with a smile—in a good mood at the memories of sunny Spain.

**but guess what?"**

**"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.**

**"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"**

"You don't say?" Remus asked evenly, causing everyone to erupt into laughter again.

**"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing.**

**"Yeah… can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. "I was worried this mornin', mind… thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night…"**

Remus sighed in relief. "That was a great relief when I woke up."

"But how did you know?" Arthur asked curiously. "I thought you said that you can't remember much from your transformations."

"I don't," Remus explained grimly. "But I do remember feelings… like the pain from being bit, or the joy of running through the night…" he gulped, "Or the satisfaction of hunting. I remember if I eat anything… usually foxes or raccoons. Anyway… if I had eaten something, I'm sure that there would be a lot of blood on me once I woke up."

"Oh," he said, looking down. "Sorry. I didn't mean to…" Arthur wasn't sure what he was trying to say, but before he could finish, Sirius cut in.

"Wait, what's Hagrid talking about?" Sirius demanded slowly. "He can't just let something like that slip! Unless…"

Sirius's good mood had faded and Severus had a small smirk appearing.

"You greasy git! You told everyone, didn't you?" Sirius hissed at him in a low voice, his anger quickly boiling over. "Because you couldn't get me… you told everyone that Remus is a werewolf for revenge. That is low."

"What makes you so sure that it was me?" Severus asked silkily.

**"What?" said Harry quickly.**

**"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er — Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'… Thought everyone'd know by now… Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night… He's packin' now, o' course."**

"Oops," Mad-Eye said. "There goes another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…"

"You bastard!" Sirius shouted leaping at Severus, waking a disgruntled Buckbeak. Buckbeak had been woken several times this day and he was getting furious. He snapped his beak furiously, warning Sirius that he wasn't going to take it anymore. Arthur and Remus jumped on him preventing from Sirius attacking. "The hell you doing that for?"

"Sirius, calm down. I know how angry you are, and I am also disappointed with Severus's actions," Albus began, but Sirius went on as if he hadn't heard him.

"HOW COULD YOU?! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH REMUS! NOW BECAUSE OF YOU HE HAS TO LEAVE THE ONE DECENT JOB HE COULD EVER GET!" Sirius shouted, looking like he is about to curse Severus within an inch of his life.

"So because you didn't get what you wanted with Sirius, you take it out on Remus?!" said Tonks gasped angrily—her hair turning a deep red in her anger. "And you call yourself an adult?"

"GUYS!" Remus shouted over the noise. "They've found out about—about my condition sooner or later anyway! No parent wants their kids to be taught be a werewolf," Remus said sadly, helping Sirius to sit back down. "They would've been complaining to Dumbledore and the governors until I was fired. It's more trouble than I'm worth. I always knew that I wouldn't have been able to stay forever anyway."

While he sounded more sad than angry, most of them sent death glares at Severus.

**"He's packing?" said Harry, alarmed. "Why?"**

**"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that Harry had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin again."**

"Why are you leaving?" Tonks asked him. Though she knew why, she also knew how much it meant to him to be a teacher. "You know Dumbledore would have kept you and wouldn't have cared less what anyone said."

"Including parents?" Remus asked gloomily. "I had to leave Tonks because parents would never want a werewolf teaching their children, and I couldn't risk getting loose again and attacking someone."

"Most people who have met you, don't care that you are a werewolf, Remus," Minerva told him. "Most of the students thought you were an amazing teacher, yes there were a few who didn't like it but it didn't matter."

"Minerva, I nearly killed three students…" he added bitterly.

"But you didn't, Remus," Tonks said putting her hand on his shoulder. "And it wasn't you… it was Moony…"

"But Moony is a part of me," he reminded her and tried to pull away from her, but she held onto his hand again.

"And if you had a choice," she said serenely as she took both his scarred hands in her own smaller, unscarred ones. "You would never let Moony out."

She smiled peacefully at him, and Remus's heartbeat was beating rapid-fast again as blood rushed to his head, making him dizzy. Smiling at the adorable scene in front of him, Albus let them stay like that for a few more minutes before he heard Severus cough and he went back to the story.

**Harry scrambled to his feet.**

**"I'm going to see him," he said to Ron and Hermione.**

**"But if he's resigned —"**

**" — doesn't sound like there's anything we can do —"**

**"I don't care. I still want to see him. I'll meet you back here."**

"Was he going to try and convince you to stay?" Tonks asked him

"It didn't work," Remus said simply; as after what happened the night before, nothing would get him to stay.

**Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The Grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. **

"What happened to it?" Kingsley asked curiously.

"Let it loose back in the lake," Remus answered.

**Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when Harry knocked on the door.**

**"I saw you coming," said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over. It was the Marauder's Map.**

"Guess you couldn't give up your Marauder's side for good, huh Moony?" Sirius snorted.

"I consider it watching over one of my best friends only son and godson for them," Remus informed him calmly before he sighed. "He must think that it was his fault I resigned."

"Why would he think that?" Molly asked surprised.

"That's just who he is," Remus answered.

Sirius suddenly thought of something and he grinned. "So did you…?" he began.

Remus, guessing what he was thinking, just laughed at the hopeful look on his face.

"Good man," he said, clapping Remus on the back.

"Sirius, what on earth are you talking about?" Molly asked confused, for Minerva had put a hand up to her temple in annoyance and was shaking her head in disapproval.

"He's going to give Harry the map back," she answered Molly's puzzled look.

"Well, I was no longer a teacher," Remus said smiling too.

"You don't have to encourage him to get into trouble, you know," Molly said grumpily. "I thought you had more sense than that, Remus."

"It's in Harry's nature to get into trouble," Remus chuckled. "Regardless of what I do."

"Besides, we created the map to help cause the _good_ kind of trouble, and I think Harry needs a little more of that," Sirius added.

"You would," Molly muttered. She agreed that Harry needed more chances to act like a kid, but couldn't he try that without getting into trouble?

**"I just saw Hagrid," said Harry. "And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"**

**"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.**

**"Why?" said Harry. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?" Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind Harry.**

"Good that's a conversation you don't want overheard," Mad-Eye said approvingly at Remus's behavior. "At least someone here isn't completely hopeless."

"What about me?" Tonks demanded.

"You don't want to know what I think of you," he said and Tonks stuck her tongue out at him.

**"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives." **

"Good," Tonks sighed in relief; hating the idea that that Ministry loser Fudge would blame Remus.

**He sighed. "That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he — er — accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."**

Most of them scowled. It just wasn't fair that Remus had to give up his dream job because some people couldn't learn to move on with their lives.

"_'Accidentally'_," Remus spat bitterly, causing most of the others to glance at him with sympathy, and then swiftly look away before he noticed.

"Call me crazy, but I highly doubt it was an accident," Sirius growled, glaring at Severus.

Minerva turned to look at Severus, "I would have thought you were better than that, Severus. How can you keep letting a petty school grudge control your life?"

Severus looked away. There was no way to explain his behavior without giving away his biggest secret and he could imagine the looks on their faces if they heard about that. How he had hated Black because he thought that he had betrayed the closest friend he ever had…

Remus shook his head again. "It's alright," he said at last, his voice soft and strained. "I'm far used to it." He swallowed, and went on in a forced calm voice, "People like me… well… let's just say that I'm far too used to it and it doesn't bother me."

There was a loud silence, in which all of them avoided looking at each other—especially Remus.

"And after what happened the night before, I wouldn't have stayed, anyway," Remus went sadly. "I would never want to put anyone, especially Harry, in that kind of danger again."

"You wouldn't have," Tonks said firmly, tightening her grasp on his hands. "And Hogwarts would have been so much better if you'd stayed."

"You were a very good teacher," Minerva added. "Many of the students were sad to see you go."

"Thank you," Remus smiled, though he wasn't sure if the other Houses felt the same, or if it had only been the Gryffindors that liked him.

Sirius snorted derisively. "And I want to know, how can you _accidentally_ let slip that someone's a _werewolf_?" he demanded at Snape. "And I thought Dumbledore forbade you from telling anyone about it?"

"I don't have to answer to you," Severus sneered.

"No, I want to know why your ridiculous prejudice forced Remus to quit!" Sirius growled, sounding angry again.

"Enough, please," Albus sighed, his patience fading quickly as well. "Gentlemen, this is all in the past. As much as I wished that things could've worked out differently, we cannot change what has already happened."

**"You're not leaving just because of that!" said Harry.**

**Lupin smiled wryly.**

**"This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents… They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry.**

"How many kids will tell their parents?" Sirius asked the room at large. "I mean, if you like the teacher would you tell your parents something that might cause him to get fired?"

"Some kids don't think like that," Kingsley explained somewhat sadly.

"Who cares?" Sirius barked back. "They're all just prejudiced gits. I say that you should've stayed, Professor Moony."

"Besides, I'm sure that all of the other Houses, besides Slytherin that is, loved your classes and they would vouch for you," Tonks offered him. "I don't think that there was a single student, outside of Slytherin of course that wanted you to leave. And I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't have cared what anyone else said if you really wanted to stay. He doesn't care what people think of him…"

Albus smiled at her over his spectacles. "I am far too used of being criticized with how I run the school to be bothered by what others say."

Sirius went on eagerly, "They can suck it up. They're never going to get a better teacher for them!"

"Parents won't care about that," Remus shook his head. "You only have to say the world _'werewolf'_ and that is it. They only want their kids to be safe, Padfoot. I can't blame that for it."

"But you _are_ safe!" Tonks exclaimed in frustration. "Just start taking your potion again and it'll be fine!"

Remus just shook his head. "I've done enough damage already."

"And I thought Potter was the pessimistic one," Mad-Eye said.

**And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you… That must never happen again."**

"That was a freak accident," Sirius snapped at Remus. "It was my fault for distracting you."

"That doesn't change the fact that I forgot how to take my potion," Remus sighed. As much as he would've loved to have stayed and taught—to do a job that he loved, got three square meals a day, and decent pay—it was too good to be true.

**"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" said Harry. "Don't go!"**

**Lupin shook his head and didn't speak. He carried on emptying his drawers. Then, while Harry was trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Harry. If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you've learned… Tell me about your Patronus."**

"You didn't want him to say anything did you?" Kingsley asked him knowingly.

"I was afraid that if I gave him a chance, he would think of a good reason for me to stay," he answered truthfully.

"In that case, you should've listened," Sirius grumbled.

**"How d'you know about that?" said Harry, distracted.**

**"What else could have driven the Dementors back?"**

**Harry told Lupin what had happened. When he'd finished, Lupin was smiling again.**

"Of course I was; what he did was truly astounding," Remus said. "Powerful enough to drive away all those Dementors… and to hear what form it took… it was…" he couldn't think of a word to describe how he felt. The others must've understood because they didn't press him to say anything.

**"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed," he said. "You guessed right… that's why we called him Prongs."**

"That's right, Remus never got the chance to tell him," Sirius said, remembering how Hermione had interrupted them. "He discovered it all on his own." He then thought fondly, _'Like father, like son.'_

**Lupin threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers, and turned to look at Harry.**

**"Here — I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, handing Harry back the Invisibility Cloak. **

Sirius grinned, all traces of sadness disappearing from his face for that instant. "Brilliant, Moony. Thanks for giving that back."

"It was rightfully his," Remus retorted. "James never would've forgiven me if I didn't give it back."

**"And…" He hesitated, then held out the Marauder's Map too. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it."**

"I'm sure they will," Sirius cheered and clapped Remus on the back again. "Good to see that being a teacher didn't suck away the Marauder part of you."

"It's not like I had much use it," Remus smirked. "I can give it back to them with a clear conscience. And as much as I love teaching, I don't think I could ever forget my Marauder side."

"Remus," Molly scolded.

"Molly, I had no use for it and something told me that Harry would have much more uses for it than I would," Remus defended.

**Harry took the map and grinned.**

**"You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school… you said they'd have thought it was funny."**

"You did say that," Tonks said smirking and Remus blushed.

**"And so we would have," said Lupin, now reaching down to close his case. "I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle."**

"He'd have been rolling in his grave," Sirius sighed in grave and solemn voice.

"You sure seem confident about what James would think," Kingsley said. "So, does it qualify as a coincidence or just ironic that Harry ended up with the Map?"

"Oh, I don't believe that there is a think such as coincidence," Albus said. "At least they're using the map well."

**There was a knock on the door. Harry hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak into his pocket.**

**It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see Harry there.**

"Are you ever surprised?" Arthur had to ask.

"After knowing Harry for three years, I expected no less than to see him there," Albus said softly."Harry always seems to find out what's going on and turns up somehow. Not that it was really surprising in this case."

**"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said.**

**"Thank You, Headmaster."**

**Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty Grindylow tank.**

**"Well — good-bye, Harry," he said, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage…"**

"Trying to get out of there as fast as you can?" Sirius questioned disapprovingly.

Albus looked to Remus, "Were you afraid that I would still try to talk you into staying?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, I just trying to get out of there before my desire to stay won out over my reasons for leaving."

"And I suppose you don't want any of the kids giving you a hard time," added Kingsley shrewdly.

"Or to meet Snape and attack him," added Sirius sagely. "I know that's what I would've done."

Tonks spoke up to Albus, "I hope that you at least gave Snape a long talking to."

Severus glared at her, his arms folded as she turned her head away from him.

**Harry had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as possible.**

**"Good-bye, then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly.**

"We all wanted you to stay, Remus," Albus said quietly. He ignored the snide remarks that Severus was making under his breath. "You're the first capable Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that I've found for a little while," Albus went on. "The students learned a great deal from you over this year. And you were still a dear friend—it was hard to watch you go, believe me."

"The feeling was mutual," Remus whispered sadly.

**Lupin shifted the Grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands. Then, with a final nod to Harry and a swift smile, Lupin left the office.**

"Such a shame," said Minerva sadly. "You're a great teacher—I really don't think that the kids would've cared that you were a werewolf… and—" she hesitated for a second before finishing, "I think that parents would've come round eventually."

"Thanks for the thought, Minerva," Remus said, though he highly doubted it.

"On a completely different subject," Tonks interrupted, "What in the world were you going to do with a tank?"

"Get a couple of pet fish?" Remus joked before he laughed.

**Harry sat down in his vacated chair, staring glumly at the floor. He heard the door close and looked up. Dumbledore was still there.**

"Now what do you want?" Sirius demanded.

Albus turned the page but didn't look up, "I just wanted to talk to Harry without anyone else around."

"'Bout what?" he asked coldly. Rather than answer, Albus went on:

**"Why so miserable, Harry?" he said quietly. "You should be very proud of yourself after last night."**

**"It didn't make any difference," said Harry bitterly. "Pettigrew got away."**

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, Harry, it made a great deal of difference to me. You saved my and Buckbeak's lives. I think that made quite a difference!"

**"Didn't make any difference?" said Dumbledore quietly, "it made all the difference in the world, Harry. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate."**

"Which I will always be grateful for," Sirius nodded in agreement with his past self.

**Terrible. Something stirred in Harry's memory. **_**Greater and more terrible than ever before…**_** Professor Trelawney's prediction!**

Everyone in the room looks surprised they had forgotten about that with everything else they read.

Molly gasped. "Merlin, I'd forgotten all about that. Trelawney's predicted that Voldemort's servant would escape and…"

Remus cursed. "And Peter escaped and went back to Voldemort!"

The atmosphere in the room grew icy as Sirius glared at the book. "Well," he growled. "We all know how that happened. He helped kidnap my godson and tied him to a tombstone! When I get my hands on that little rat…"

**"Professor Dumbledore — yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went very — very strange."**

**"Indeed?" said Dumbledore. "Er — stranger than usual, you mean?"**

"I wasn't completely sure of what he meant," Albus offered. "Sybil is… ah… very unique."

"Only you, Albus could put it so gently," Minerva muttered to herself.

**"Yes… her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and she said… she said Voldemort's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight… She said the servant would help him come back to power." Harry stared up at Dumbledore. "And then she sort of became normal again, and she couldn't remember anything she'd said. Was it — was she making a real prediction?"**

Albus nodded, thinking vaguely of the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries.

**Dumbledore looked mildly impressed.**

"It's not every day that you hear a real prophecy," he said quietly. Severus shifted in his seat uncomfortably; the memory of him telling Voldemort about that damn prophecy in the first place still haunted him.

**"Do you know, Harry, I think she might have been." he said thoughtfully. "Who'd have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise…"**

Minerva tried to keep her opinion to herself, but she couldn't help herself, "Why would you employ a teacher that had hardly any talent for their field in the first place?"

"Two?" Tonks asked suddenly nervous. "What was the first?"

Albus shifted for a second and Severus was looking pale. "I haven't told you all this… but you see, Sybil Trelawney… she was the one who first made the prophecy that we are all protecting in the Department of Mysteries."

They all stared at him—silence filling the air—making it so thick that you could practically feel the tension in the air.

"That is why I have her at Hogwarts," he went on sadly. "Not for the class itself… but for her protection. Between ourselves, she has no idea of the danger she would be in outside the castle. She does not know—and I think it would be in her best interest if we don't tell her—that she made the prophecy that Voldemort is so desperate to get."

"She never knew that she made two Prophecies?" questioned Molly, incredulously.

"No," replied Albus simply. "From the moment she goes into and out of the Trance, she has no memory of what she… _prophesied_."

"Hmm," grunted Mad-Eye. "If she knew that she makes true Prophecies just once in a while, it might have made her less dramatic."

"Or just make them even worse," Minerva contradicted to herself.

**"But —" Harry looked at him, aghast. How could Dumbledore take this so calmly?**

**"But — I stopped Sirius and Professor Lupin from killing Pettigrew! That makes it my fault if Voldemort comes back!"**

They all shook their heads. "Harry, it is _not_ your fault that he came back," Sirius said firmly.

**"It does not," said Dumbledore quietly. "Hasn't your experience with the Time-Turner taught you anything, Harry? The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed… **

"Then why is did they ever come up with a divination class in the first place?" Minerva asked.

"So that we might be able to find true Seers," Albus explained.

**Professor Trelawney, bless her, is living proof of that… You did a very noble thing, in saving Pettigrew's life."**

**Harry looked down at that, still not sure if he did the right thing.**

"It's just who you are, Harry," Remus said, shaking his head. "You can't go against your own nature."

**"But if he helps Voldemort back to power…"**

**"Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt… When one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them… **

"Which might be useful one day," Kingsley said.

"I highly doubt it," Sirius grunted.

**and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his servant in the debt of Harry Potter."**

"He wouldn't…" Mad-Eye grinned. "That can't look too good on his application."

Tonks snorted as Albus read out:

**"I don't want a connection with Pettigrew!" said Harry. "He betrayed my parents!"**

**"This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Harry. But trust me… the time may come when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life."**

"He does have a point about this brand of magic, but I really don't see how that's going to help Harry," Sirius said thoughtfully.

**Harry couldn't imagine when that would be. Dumbledore looked as though he knew what Harry was thinking.**

**"I knew your father very well, both at Hogwarts and later, Harry," he said gently. **

"I'm sure you did," Minerva said with her eyebrows raised to Sirius who was smiling. "That's because you two were never out of his office."

"Except on holidays of course," Sirius reminded her happily.

Remus quickly stifled a laugh.

**"He would have saved Pettigrew too, I am sure of it."**

**Harry looked up at him. Dumbledore wouldn't laugh — he could tell Dumbledore…**

"Tell him what?" Sirius asked crossly. He hated the fact that his own godson seemed to be more comfortable telling his Headmaster his worries and problems instead of him.

"I would never laugh at that," murmured Albus—knowing full well how desperate a person can be for comfort. And in all honesty he was honored that Harry had trusted him enough to tell him.

**"I thought it was my dad who'd conjured my Patronus. I mean, when I saw myself across ****the lake… I thought I was seeing him."**

**"An easy mistake to make," said Dumbledore softly. **

Remus and Sirius both nodded in agreement—really it was almost like seeing James's double sometimes.

**"I expect you'll tire of hearing it, but you do look **_**extraordinarily**_** like James. **

Severus scowled at the reminder.

**Except for the eyes… you have your mother's eyes." **

Severus glower disappeared as he felt the familiar guilt well up inside his chest again… along with his terrible grief of having to look into those eyes during classes.

**Harry shook his head.**

**"It was stupid, thinking it was him," he muttered. "I mean, I knew he was dead."**

**"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? **

Albus thought about that, and he paused for a brief moment as memories of his mother, father, and sister all flashed into his mind… how he wished that he could see them… just once more… if only for a minute so that he could tell them all how sorry he was. He took a deep breath and made a brave attempt to continue.

**Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? Prongs rode again last night."**

"He's right Harry," Molly said softly.

"Wait, did you just call James Prongs?" Arthur asked, looking up.

"Yes," Albus answered.

"I told him," Sirius muttered. "I had to tell him everything or else he might not have believed me."

**It took a moment for Harry to realize what Dumbledore had said.**

**"Last night Sirius told me all about how they became Animagi," said Dumbledore, smiling. "An extraordinary achievement — not least, keeping it quiet from me.**

Minerva shook her head. "How could you not know? I thought you knew everything that was going on in the castle."

Albus smiled at her. "That's a common misunderstanding my dear Professor," he said brightly. "I merely know _most_ things that go on. And from what I have read… our _'Golden Trio'_ have managed to do many things without me aware of what was happening and will most likely continue to do so."

"That's my boy," Sirius muttered proudly.

**And then I remembered the most unusual form your Patronus took, when it charged Mr. Malfoy down at your Quidditch match against Ravenclaw.**

"So he truly did produce a corporeal Patronus at that match," Kingsley noted, beaming.

"A more wondrous surprise, I can't remember," Remus chuckled.

**You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father last night… You found him inside yourself."**

Sirius looked down at the floor, to try to keep the tears that were welling up from showing. Tonks and Remus wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Sappy as always," Mad-Eye stated in annoyance, but he felt his heart go out to Potter… if a little sentimental…

**And Dumbledore left the office, leaving Harry to his very confused thoughts.**

**Nobody at Hogwarts now knew the truth of what had happened the night that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore. As the end of term approached, Harry heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth.**

"The truth sounds crazier than any of the theories," Minerva said shaking her head. "Though I doubt that anyone else would've believed the truth anyway."

**Malfoy was furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid had found a way of smuggling the Hippogriff to safety, and seemed outraged that he and his father had been outwitted by a gamekeeper.**

"Sounds like a good theory to me," Sirius snickered and Tonks burst out laughing.

**Percy Weasley, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius's escape.**

**"If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about Magical Law Enforcement!" he told the only person who would listen — his girlfriend, Penelope.**

"Just what we needed," Sirius whispered to Remus in disgust. "Another self-absorbed Minister of Magic. I feel for her, really she should dump that prat before it's too late."

"I think she did," Remus whispered back. "I don't think their relationship lasted long after they left school."

"Good thing for her," Sirius whispered back with an anxious glance at the Weasleys who were looking miserable—just like every other time their third child was mentioned.

**Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though he knew they had achieved the near impossible in helping Sirius to freedom, **

Everyone smiled at that except for Severus; who was still fuming.

**Harry had never approached the end of a school year in worse spirits. **

**He certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin go. The whole of Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was miserable about his resignation.**

"I… can't believe that," Remus mumbled in surprise by the student's reactions.

"See, Remus?" said Tonks meaningfully. "They were ALL miserable when you left! Not just the trio!"

"It makes no difference," Remus said flatly. "No matter how much they liked me, I'll never be able to go back."

"Oh, I'm sure that we can find something to do about that," Albus said as gave him a gentle look. "If you truly want the job back."

**"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Seamus Finnigan gloomily.**

**"Maybe a vampire," suggested Dean Thomas hopefully.**

"No, actually," Mad-Eye muttered, suddenly looking angry, "Just some Death Eater disguised as an ex-Auror."

Tonks, who hadn't heard what her mentor said, thought that commit was funny. "What's the point in that? They can't teach during the day anyway. So they would be forced to go to class in the dead of night. That would be cool."

"Only you would think that having a vampire for a teacher would be considered cool," Remus said incredulous.

"Oh, I don't know," Arthur chortled. "I think that Fred and George would enjoy the idea at least."

**It wasn't only Professor Lupin's departure that was weighing on Harry's mind. He couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Trelawney's prediction. **

"I don't blame him," Kingsley said dourly. "That is a lot to worry about. And he's only thirteen."

"Don't remind me," Sirius said gruffly.

**He kept wondering where Pettigrew was now, whether he had sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet. **

Sirius scoffed. "How could you call that a sanctuary? He's with Voldemort for crying out loud! I think that anywhere far _away_ from him would be sanctuary!"

"Sanctuary," Severus repeated dully, his eyes fluttering shut as he shook his head back and forth incredulously.

**But the thing that was lowering Harry's spirits most of all was the prospect of returning to the Dursleys. **

Molly sighed unhappily. "That poor boy," she breathed sadly.

Albus felt guilt eating away at him once more. Each time the mention of how miserable Harry was at his relatives, his resolve to keep him there wavered—he wasn't sure—his mind telling him one thing… his heart another…

**For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, he had believed he would be living with Sirius from now on… his parents' best friend… It would have been the next best thing to having his own father back. And while no news of Sirius was definitely good news, because it meant he had successfully gone into hiding, Harry couldn't help feeling miserable when he thought of the home he might have had, and the fact that it was now impossible.**

Both Sirius and Severus's eyes darkened at those words. And they both remembered the same feelings that coursed through them as they were forced to return each summer. Each time they boarded the train to go, not home, but back to their terrible households. They dreaded seeing their families, they dreaded being alone without their friends for the two months they had off… how they wished that Hogwarts stayed open during the summer…

Both men understood the feelings of pain and longing when forced to return to their homes… they had both been abused in one way or the other… had suffered at the hands of their so-called families. They knew how Harry must've been feeling… though for Severus, he was thinking more about himself and his trials than about Harry.

**The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had passed every subject. Harry was amazed that he had got through Potions. He had a shrewd suspicion that Dumbledore might have stepped in to stop Snape failing him on purpose. **

"Good," Sirius said firmly, glaring at Severus.

"I wouldn't _fail _him," Severus snorted clinically. "Naturally, he has no talent for such a complicated subject anyway. He would get whatever he deserved. Besides, Dumbledore would never have allowed that."

Albus didn't react at all to those words. In truth, he had a feeling that Severus would try to take his anger and frustration on Harry so he just paid a quick visit to him in his dungeons while he was making final grades just to be sure.

"I think that they should've purposely failed Divination," said Tonks. "I think that they could've found much more useful stuff to do."

"Well, think of it this way… the prediction that Potter made up came true," said Mad-Eye lightly. "About Potter saying that the Hippogriff would fly away?"

"What do you know?" Tonks asked cheerfully. "I always thought that Potter had some Seer blood in him…"

**Snape's behavior toward Harry over the past week had been quite alarming. Harry wouldn't have thought it possible that Snape's dislike for him could increase, but it certainly had. **

Sirius was muttering incoherently under his breath, glowering darkly.

**A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape's thin mouth every time he looked at Harry, and he was constantly flexing his fingers, as though itching to place them around Harry's throat.**

"If you hurt just one hair on his head," Sirius said threateningly, silently daring him to try something whilst _he_ was around. "It will be the last thing that you ever do." Severus just sneered back at him.

"Oh, why can't you all just leave each other alone?" Molly sighed. "Don't you think that it would make your lives a little easier?"

**Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s; Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each. **

"**Three O. each," Minerva muttered, shaking her head while Molly looked disappointed. "At least one of them was in my subject."**

**Gryffindor House, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House championship for the third year running. This meant that the end of term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated. Even Harry managed to forget about the journey back to the Dursleys the next day as he ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest.**

"Good, he deserves it," Sirius said. "He needs to have as much fun as possible before he returns to that _prison_." He cast another glare at Dumbledore as he said that last part.

**As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione gave Harry and Ron some surprising news.**

**"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."**

**"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Ron.**

"WHAT?!" Sirius cried shocked.

"That was very impressive," Minerva nodded.

"Amazing!" Molly and Tonks cooed at the same time.

"With brains like that," Sirius muttered, "I can't help but wonder how she didn't get in Ravenclaw."

**"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."**

"Were you alright with that when she gave it back?" Molly asked Minerva.

"Yes," Minerva replied. "I expected this would happen. And to tell you the truth, I was hoping for it. I think she could have made this work, but I also think that it's safe to say that she was close to a meltdown. She didn't need all that stress."

Mad-Eye snorted. "Looks like Granger has discovered the odd contradiction that by giving up all that time, she ends up with more time."

**"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," said Ron grumpily. "We're supposed to be your **_**friends**_**."**

"She did promise, Ronald," Molly said sternly as if he was in the room with her. "She could've gotten into severe trouble for telling anyone."

**"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone," said Hermione severely. She looked around at Harry, who was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain. Two whole months before he'd see it again…**

Severus let out the smallest of sighs as Sirius read that sentence, forming a tiny bit of empathy for Potter… but only a tiny bit.

**"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" said Hermione sadly.**

**"I'm okay," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."**

**"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," said Ron. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now —"**

**"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione. "Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year…"**

"I took Muggle Studies," Sirius said grinning proudly. "You should have seen my dear old Mum's face when she found out!" Sirius was laughing and took on a dreamy expression. "I told her that I adored the class the next time I saw her, that Muggles are fascinating. She looked like she wanted to kill me. And then she saw how high my result in the exam was… well she was furious. Good times…"

"I think that class should be a requirement," Tonks frowned. "Might help with arrogant purebloods thinking that they're superior."

"I think that is an excellent suggestion, Tonks," Albus said serenely. "I've been trying to make that class a requirement for years, unfortunately, most of the governors believe that class is a waste of time."

"Why am I not surprised?" Kingsley sighed.

**Ron ignored her.**

**"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer!**

"What?!" Sirius groaned in longing and Remus clapped him on the shoulder. "Oh, I wish I could've gone."

**How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."**

**This proposal had the effect of cheering Harry up a great deal.**

"Would've cheered me up," Sirius sighed unhappily as he felt Remus grip his shoulder.

**"Yeah… I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come… especially after what I did to Aunt Marge…"**

"I forgot about her," Sirius roared with laughter. "That's right! He blew up Marge! Oh, I'm sure the Dursleys will be looking forward to seeing him."

**Feeling considerably more cheerful, Harry joined Ron and Hermione in several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea cart arrived, he bought himself a very large lunch, though nothing with chocolate in it.**

"After being forced to beat a boulder of chocolate, I can't blame him," Tonks muttered and giggled at the startled look on Remus's face.

"You should never turn down chocolate," he muttered.

**But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made him truly happy turned up…**

"Oooohhhh!" Tonks gasped, leaning in to hear. "What is it?"

'_A letter from me,'_ Sirius thought happily.

**"Harry," said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder. "What's that thing outside your window?"**

**Harry turned to look outside. Something very small and gray was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass. He stood up for a better look and saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that was much too big for it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream. Harry quickly pulled down the window, stretched out his arm, and caught it. It felt like a very fluffy Snitch. He brought it carefully inside.**

"It's from you isn't it, Sirius?!" exclaimed Tonks in excitement.

"You don't know that!" Sirius protested, though a smile was spreading across his face like a jack-o-lantern.

"Of course we know that," Remus retorted with his chuckle. "Only you would send such a hyper owl."

"He was the best I could find," Sirius justified.

**The owl dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around their compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way.**

**Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He ripped open the letter, and shouted, "**_**It's from Sirius**_**!"**

"KNEW IT!" Tonks cried out as loudly as she dared without waking Buckbeak and punched the air.

**"What?" said Ron and Hermione excitedly. "Read it aloud!"**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post.**_

"No they aren't," Sirius muttered. He was glad that Harry got it before he got back to that house. Then Harry might've gotten in real trouble.

_**Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands. **_

"What do you know?" Mad-Eye said with his eyebrows raised. "You've got some brains in there after all."

"Watch it!" Sirius snapped at him.

_**I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the**__**job.**_

_**I believe the Dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here.**_

"That's good," Tonks said happily. "You have to tell me about your trip after you escaped Hogwarts."

"I'll love telling you…" Sirius began but Mad-Eye cut him off.

"No, do that on your own time," he grunted loudly. "I want to get this book over with already!"

_**I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.**_

"You didn't have to, the Dementors aren't going to be there," Remus said.

"Which is a great relief," Minerva said firmly. Others, Albus especially, nodded in fierce agreement.

_**There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt —**_

"Only you would do something like that," Remus chortled and Sirius snorted.

"It was the least I could do!" Sirius said cheerfully.

**"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you it was from him!"**

"Yes—Hermione was right even about the Firebolt," Kingsley said calmly. "We are fairly confident that we can trust her judgment, but that when emotions are involved, she's dead wrong."

"She needs to work on that," Mad-Eye muttered, running his gnarled hands over his staff.

**"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" said Ron. "Ouch!" The tiny owl now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way.**

"I should've known that it was you who sent that owl, Sirius," Arthur said slowly.

"Was it really that obvious?" Sirius asked good-naturedly.

"Now that we've met you," Molly asked. "Yes."

– _**Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the**__**gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather.**_

"Oh, so that's how you got your money out of the vault," Remus said. "I always wondered."

"Wasn't easy," Sirius admitted. "The Black vault is a high-security one. I was worried that they wouldn't let me take anything out… luckily, the Goblins don't care if you're on the run or not."

Mad-Eye suddenly asked, "What is your vault number anyway, Black?"

"711, why?" Sirius asked as he thought about the look of wonder on his godson's face when he opened that magnificent broom.

"Nothing," Mad-Eye grinned. "Just thinking… but vault number 711… that would but you right next to high-security vault 713 wouldn't it."

Sirius blinked in astonishment. "Who knew?"

_**I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.**_

"Just a little…" Sirius whispered, still feeling guilty at seeing the scared look in Harry's face when he first saw him.

_**I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.**_

_**If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me.**_

_**I'll write again soon.**_

_**Sirius**_

**Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there. He read it through quickly and felt suddenly as warm and contented as though he'd swallowed a bottle of hot butterbeer in one gulp.**

"Oh!" Tonks moaned as she practically bounced in her seat. "What is it?"

_**I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends.**_

**"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" Remus said happily. "Wait, how did you know he hadn't been given permission?"**

"Well, I watched the kids set off for the first weekend and he wasn't with them," Sirius answered thoughtfully. "Why would any kid not go to Hogsmeade unless they didn't have permission? And I just wanted to make sure…"

"Now Harry doesn't have to sneak into Hogsmeade anymore," Arthur said optimistically.

"Where's the fun in that?" Tonks asked seriously and Remus let out a small laugh.

**"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry happily. **

'_Of course it would be. Potter's always been his favorite student, no matter how much he denies having favorites,'_ Severus thought bitterly.

**He looked back at Sirius's letter. "Hang on, there's a PS…"**

_**I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat.**_

There was some silence in the room for about a minute—no one knew what to say to that without making anyone upset. Finally however, Molly spoke, in a voice of forced calm, "That was kind of you, Sirius."

Sirius nodded, clearly shaking himself internally.

"I'm glad," Arthur stated jerkily. "I'm glad that we no longer have a rat."

"Glad to hear that," Sirius croaked out.

"So now you gave them a crazy owl to deal with?" Tonks asked, trying to lighten the mood again. "Don't they have enough to deal with?"

**Ron's eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly. "Keep him?" he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to Harry's and Hermione's great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.**

**"What do you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"**

"Good call," Sirius laughed, shaking his head. "Doesn't hurt to check! Though I don't think they need to worry; I think the odds of having two pets as illegal Animagi a bit of a long shot."

Albus stretched his shoulders. "We're nearly done," he said softly, looking forward to the end of the book.

**Crookshanks purred.**

**"That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine."**

**Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into King's Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters. Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting, his worst suspicions about them seemed confirmed.**

"What? That there are people who are actually nice to Harry? Or the fact that they are wizards and witches?" Tonks asked bitterly.

"I think both," Mad-Eye said evenly. He would love a chance to meet Vernon Dursley face to face and—ah—have a nice short _conversation_ with him.

"Oh, so liking Harry suddenly makes us bad people now?" Molly scowled. Her attitude had turned back to angry now the Dursleys were back.

Sirius growled at the book. "Liking my godson doesn't make you a bad person," he snarled. "Quite the opposite…" he glanced at Snape as he said this next part. "Not liking my godson seems like they have problems!"

**"I'll call about the World Cup!" Ron yelled after Harry as Harry bid him and Hermione good-bye, then wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig's cage toward Uncle Vernon, who greeted him in his usual fashion.**

**"What's that?" he snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. **

"A piece of paper. Why?" responded Sirius sarcastically. "Honestly, you think they would have a better greeting for their own nephew."

"I'm not surprised," Kingsley muttered.

**"If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another —"**

"After the chaos he created _last_ time? No chance of ever asking _him_ to sign a form again," Sirius all but sneered. "Besides, he has me now."

"ALso," Kingsley reminded him, "He didn't even sign it the first time."

"Just one more reason to hate them," Sirius growled in fury.

**"It's not," said Harry cheerfully. "It's a letter from my godfather."**

Sirius let out a breath of laughter. "Yes, I thought I saw where he was going with this," he chuckled appreciatively.

"What?" Tonks asked.

**"Godfather?" sputtered Uncle Vernon. "You haven't got a godfather!"**

"It just so happens he does," Sirius smirked smugly.

**"Yes, I have," said Harry brightly. "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though… keep up with my news… check if I'm happy…"**

Most burst out laughing.

"Brilliant!" Sirius cried. "Just absolutely genius! You make them sweat it out Harry!"

"You know that he was using you as a threat?" Minerva informed him half-heartedly.

"Oh, I don't mind if he was if it helped to will keep them in line and allow Harry some better treatment," he said firmly. "And besides, every word's the truth. Though it seems he left out a small detail. Technically he wasn't lying… he just wasn't telling them everything he knew."

"You mean the fact that you're innocent," Remus smirked. "Ah, I don't think that it's _that_ important to tell them. It slipped my mind in fact…"

"I guess you have some usefulness after all Padfoot," Tonks added as he let out his bark of a laugh and ruffled her now maroon colored spiky hair.

**And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon's face, Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.**

"I hope so," Molly huffed. "It can't get much worse than the last one."

The others groaned at that statement.

Albus shut the book. "There you are," he said with finality. "It's over at last. There were quite some revelations in that one, weren't there?"

The others nodded in grim agreement, as Albus checked his watch.

"There's not much of supper left," he informed the other two teachers. "We better be heading back to the castle before dessert's over or we'll look suspicious."

They all got up and got ready to leave.

"Only one more book to go," Tonks groaned as she stretched her stiff arms out. "I'm looking forward to some of Molly's cooking and a hot bath."

"And the next book is about fourth year," Arthur said slowly. "Just last year…"

"Not looking forward to that," Mad-Eye snarled dangerously and was considering not bothering to come to hear about the scum parading around as him.

Albus turned to them. "I'm not sure that it is wise for us to come back for awhile," he said with a look back at Minerva and Severus. "Umbridge is getting very suspicious of where the three of us head so often. I'm not sure when we can com back…but if you wish to read without us, by all means. All I ask is that you keep us informed?"

After a few more words, the teachers all left with a rather gloomy goodbye and headed straight back to the castle. Mad-Eye and Kingsley had both decided to check out what was happening within the Ministry… and left without not long afterwards.

Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus's and Tonks's shoulders as he led them down into the kitchens—feeling happier than he had been since they read about the Quidditch final. "OK, as I was saying before I was interrupted. We were flying across England for about a day or so and…"

**(ALMOST OVER! Only the epilogue left to go! Hope that you all enjoyed this chapter and the last one will be up as soon as it's finished. I decided to put in that they didn't know who it was who had made the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort because it would give Dumbledore to explain why it was important to have Sybil teaching there!)**


	32. Epilogue: Love and Jealously

**Epilogue: Love and Jealously**

The fading fire crackled in the dark drawing room fireplace in Grimmauld Place; illuminating the shadowy figure of Remus Lupin sitting alone and quiet on the couch in front slowly dying flames. Remus had spent most of the day lost in thoughts of some of his happier memories. A few hours earlier he had been sitting with Sirius and re-reading some of the most depressing books he had ever read.

While the ending of the last book had cheered Sirius up drastically—as well as talking about his adventures with Buckbeak—it had already been three days since they finished the third book. The Weasleys and Tonks had long since left—with promises that they would come back whenever they decided to read the fourth book. Dinner had been over hours ago, and Sirius made up some excuses about being tired and went up to Buckbeak with a bottle of Firewhisky.

Remus wasn't tired yet, but he didn't want to talk to anyone. He just wanted to be alone in a dark place. Now that he was finally alone however, he began thinking about the number one problem in his life… Tonks.

Ok, so he admitted to Sirius that he had strong feelings for her… but what did it matter? It wasn't as if he would ever get what he wanted. Once Tonks woke up and realized that any feelings she had for him weren't going to last—she would finally move on. He hoped that.

While at the same time, he hoped that she wouldn't wake up.

He wasn't sure anymore. He was torn between what was right and what he _wanted_. He was just so tired of everything. He'd been tired since he the night he was bitten so many years ago—and ever since he hadn't had one decent night of sleep. What he wouldn't give to be free of his curse… at least he might have a chance at happiness. All this discrimination that the Ministry caused… which brought up another issue.

Things do not bode well for Fudge; that fool was determined to make an example out of a teenage boy. Because of his cowardice, innocent people were going to suffer for it. How he became Minister he'll never know.

Remus reached over to pick up the Quibbler's article that was lying next to him on the couch and re-read the whole thing once again. He remembered how Sirius was so sicken with what it said that he couldn't even read the whole article. Not that he blamed him. But Remus had forced himself to read the whole thing… and now he was so horrified that he wasn't sure if he could stomach through this next book.

He ran his hand through his graying hair and thought about everything that had been bothering him. He was beginning to think that Dumbledore enjoyed keeping them all in the dark. It's not so much that he questioned Dumbledore's opinions and judgment… but…

Remus sighed. He couldn't help but feel resentful towards him. He couldn't help but think that it would make things easier guarding the prophecy if they knew what they were supposed to be guarding. All they knew for sure that it was about Voldemort and Harry. However the only person on the face of this earth who knew what it was about was Dumbledore… heck they weren't even aware that it had been Sybil Trelawney who made that prophecy in the first place!

He was also concerned about Dumbledore's continued, well, lack of interest in Harry. Every time they read a page, and bring up their concerns about him, Dumbledore asks for the reading to hurry so that the subject changes. Why was he so determine to act like Harry didn't exist anymore?

And then there was Sirius… Remus been worried about his friend for awhile now. He knew that Sirius would kill him if he ever heard it, but he often thought about what Molly said to him that night when they first brought Harry here. About how she questioned if Sirius knew that Harry wasn't James. He had to admit that she had a good point. The way Sirius talked about him… at least before these books arrived… he almost had to stop and remind himself that he's talking about his godson, not his best friend.

Remus knew that Sirius loved Harry deeply, but sometimes it was like he almost wished that Harry was James. That isn't good for either of them. And worse of all, Remus could also see Harry was actually trying to fulfill that role for Sirius.

Harry doesn't need another best friend now. He needs a parent.

Harry already had enough responsibly on his shoulders without Sirius making it worse. He hoped for both of their sakes that Harry wouldn't forget who the parent was supposed to be. Remus highly doubted this though—especially after everything he'd learnt about his friend's son.

Just then, the drawing room door flew open with a bang and Tonks, her hair bright purple and her eyes a dark violet tonight, came marching in with a slight skip to her step. Remus jumped up in shock and she froze at the sight of him, speechless—she obviously had thought that no one would be in here so late.

"T-Tonks?" he stuttered, trying to force his emotions under the surface. He was careful to keep his head turned away from her so she wouldn't see his face.

"Sorry," she answered hesitantly and walked slowly towards the coffee table in front of Remus. "I didn't think anyone was still awake. I wanted to make sure that the books were put away before…?"

"It's ok," he assured her quickly. "Sirius took the book and hid it away in his room. I think that he wants to be alone."

"Remus," she said softly as she looked at his face from the little light from dying embers in the fireplace. "Is something wrong? Did something happen? You don't look so good."

He forced himself to look up and saw her eyes filled with worry and made him hate himself. He tried to force a smile but he felt it come out more as a grimace.

"No," he answered not all together truthful as he sat back down. "Sirius and I spent the day reading the third book again—at least the happier chapters. And just now… I've just been thinking about the past tonight."

Tonks stepped closer and sat beside him as they looked into the fire together. Remus stared stubbornly at the crumbling wood and tried to ignore the feelings that welled up inside him as he breathed in her scent that was making his senses go crazy.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked softly.

Remus continued to stare silently into the fire—trying not to look at her. He knew he should ask her to leave but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"I was just thinking about Lily and James," he answered without looking at her.

"Do you still miss them?" she asked softly, as she placed her hand on his own in a comforting way.

"Of course I do. Every day," Remus replied sadly. "Some days more than others. But they were my best friends; and I think of all the times when it was just the four of us against the rest of the world. I wonder why things had to turn out this way…" and before he could prevent it from coming, a single teardrop slid down his cheek. Tonks leaned closer to him, reached her hand out and wiped it away gently.

Remus hadn't seen much of Tonks since they finished the last book almost a week ago; but he didn't realize until just that moment how much he had missed her company until that moment. It was then that he noticed there was a suitcase was sitting right beside her.

"What's that?" he asked surprised.

"Some of my stuff," said Tonks with a smile. "I know that I'm going to be spending a bit more time over here and I figured it's easier to just grab a room and throw some of my things in so that I don't have to keep rushing back and forth to my flat all the time. I asked Sirius yesterday and he said that there's more than plenty of space here."

"Oh," said Remus nervously as he began to sweat. "You'll-be staying here, then?"

"Sometimes, yeah," Tonks said composedly. "At least when I'm on duty. You know Grimmauld Place's a lot closer to the Ministry than my place so it'll be easier for me. Why, don't you want me here?" she grinned at him playfully.

"Of course I do," said Remus quickly, feeling a kind of kick in the pit of his stomach. Tonks, under this roof…

'_Cut it out,'_ said the voice in his head. _'We are just friends, ok? Just good friends and that is all it will ever be.'_

"Anyway, I figured I'd borrow the room Ginny and Hermione were using when they were here," she went on. "More than enough room for me and Sirius said it's ok."

She looked up at his face, and to his astonishment, she reached his finger up to trace one of the many scars on his face with her fingertips.

"Don't," whispered Remus and turned his face away from her, torn between humiliation and wanting to keep the feel of her touch on his skin.

Tonks removed her fingers but only to reach under his chin and turn his head back to her. Then she leant forward and placed a soft kiss on the scar she had just been tracing, right on his left cheek.

He closed his eyes and could've sworn that he felt his face burning where her lips touched his face—his heart beating a million miles a minute. He tried not to react to it but his body did anyway. As he leaned slightly—his arms wrapping around her he could feel what was left of his resolve starting to evaporate. Before it was too late he forced himself to pull back away from her.

Tonks looked at him questioningly.

"This is… wrong," he stammered out lamely, staring down at her hand which he had unknowingly taken. He forced himself to look up into her eyes and continued, "Tonks… we can't."

Tonks was chewing her lip, not saying a word to that.

Remus felt sick. Why wasn't she saying anything? Why was she still caressing his hand so gently? Why was _he_ still holding hers?

Just then she spoke quietly, "Remus… I've given this a lot of though and I wanted to tell you that I don't care."

Remus sighed. "_I_ care," he said softly, "I don't want to ruin your life." He gently pushed her away and got up to pace the room, "Because what we are doing here is just a spur of the moment thing… it won't last. I give in to this there will be no going back for either of us. I don't care about myself, really, I'm used to suffering. But I don't want to be responsible for ruining your life. I'm poor. I'm old. I'm dangerous… I'm not good for you, do you understand, Nymphadora?" He stopped pacing and swung round to face her, "I'm not good enough for you."

She stood up suddenly and faced him—readying herself for what she truly thought of him.

_*Meanwhile upstairs*_

Sirius was up in his mother's room—Buckbeak snoozing on the bed next to him. Sirius ran his hand over Buckbeak's head and remembered fondly how much trouble he had getting the stubborn Hippogriff back up here. He felt bad that his feathery companion was stuck in here… he must've felt as trapped as he was.

Sirius then turned his attention to the dark ceiling without really seeing it. He knew this from experience… he knew that he'll never be able to fall asleep tonight, not with everything he had learned.

And the house was quiet, too quiet for Sirius's liking.

Was it wrong of him to the house full like it was over Christmas? Yes, he'd been worried that Arthur of course—but Sirius had been alone too long and some laughter in this depressing abode was what he needed more than anything else.

Then there was Harry. His hand reached to his side and picked up the old letter and re-read it for the umpteenth time since he found it.

_Dear Padfoot,_

_Thank you, thank you, for Harry's birthday present! It was his favorite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy broomstick, he looked so pleased with himself._

_I'm enclosing a picture so you can see. You know it only rises about two feet off the ground but he nearly killed the cat and he smashed a horrible vase Petunia sent me for Christmas (no complaints there).__Of course James thought it was so funny, says he's going to be a great Quidditch player__but we've had to pack away all the ornaments and make sure we don't take our eyes off him when he gets going._

_We had a very quiet birthday tea, just us and old Bathilda who has always been sweet to us and who dotes on Harry. We were so sorry you couldn't come, but the Order's got to come first, and Harry's not old enough to know it's his birthday anyway! James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell__ – __also Dumbledore's still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you could visit, it would cheer him up so much. Wormy was here last weekend._

_I thought he seemed down, but that was probably the next about the McKinnons;__I cried all evening when I heard._

_Bathilda drops in most days, she's a fascinating old thing with the most amazing stories about Dumbledore. I'm not sure he'd be pleased if he knew! I don't know how much to believe, actually because it seems incredible that Dumbledore__could ever have been friends with Gellert Grindelwald. I think her mind's going, personally!_

_Lots of love,_

_Lily_

Sirius smiled longingly at the letter before he looked back at the picture. That familiar black-haired baby was zooming in and out of the picture on a tiny broom, roaring with laughter, with Lily laughing at James who was chasing after him.

He felt his heart ache at the memories. At what could've—should've been. He had been thinking of showing the letter to Harry the next time he came here. He knew that it would mean a lot to his godson. But…

He couldn't help but feel his insides boiling in anger at something that had been eating away at him for awhile now.

Sirius was furious at Dumbledore, the so called greatest wizard to exist. He knew that the old coot had put his godson through so much pain. All the decisions that Dumbledore had made concerning Harry seemed to have caused more harm than good. At this rate Voldemort would get the Prophecy, get his followers and, as much as Sirius didn't want to think of it, Harry.

But it's not as if he could leave the house thanks to Dumbledore's orders. He had been stuck in here and unable to protect his godson…

Well… if you didn't count that one trip to Kings Cross, he certainly didn't. He didn't know how much more he could take. The old man was the only one out the whole lot of them giving in to his fears. None of the rest of the Order had turned away from Harry because they were afraid his green eyes would turn red.

But this fact didn't change the matter that Dumbledore had abandoned Harry when he needed protection. He should have realized right away that those Dursleys were terrible. Luckily that was the last time Harry would ever have to endure them, Sirius would make sure of that.

He remembered when he had escaped Azkaban and had been torn between burning curiosity and concern for his godson. After he had escaped, the first the he had wanted was a glimpse of Harry; they had been apart for twelve years and he wanted to see if he was alright. He was fortunate enough to get that desired glimpse but it wasn't what he had been expecting. Instead of seeing a happy teenager with a family that loved him, he had been running away. Sirius had a vague idea of the reason why; he only hoped he was wrong.

But he wasn't.

Sirius growled in fury. Those words were constantly being played in his head. _'Stamp it out!' 'Nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured!' 'You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you?'_

Those words came flooding back to him—haunting him. A part of him was just daring the Dursleys to hit Harry just once just to give Sirius more of a reason to tear him limb from limb. Anger flashed in eyes… '_But for the Dursley's sake, they better not have hit him.'_

He cursed the Dursley's in his head; they would pay for what they did to his godson! Rage was pulsating through his veins like venom. How could anyone have done that to a child? How could anyone have subjected his godson, a child, to abuse? It didn't matter how much magic Harry possessed, he had only been a child. A child for Merlin's sake who couldn't control it! Sirius had no idea how the Dursley's managed to sleep each night knowing the harm that they had done.

Sirius thought of the prophecy. That prophecy had ruined all their lives—James's, Lily's, Harry's, Remus's, his own… Dumbledore ought to have a good reason for keeping this information secret from Harry.

But that wasn't what number one thing that was bugging him. See, what WAS really bugging him was the Dumbledore in the books. Harry had easily opened up to Dumbledore about his worries in the last one. He opened up to him so much more easily than the boy could open up to him… his own godfather. It made his insides burn with fury and (as much as he hated to admit it) jealously.

Ever since Dumbledore cradled the infant fourteen years ago, he has been pulling the strings. Harry doesn't know it, but Dumbledore had been keeping a very, very close eye on him. He was willing to bet anything that Dumbledore had been keeping regular report on the boy, and probably some of the portraits and ghosts, too; or maybe even followed him around invisible on occasion to make sure that he gets to know what kind of person he's becoming.

"No, he didn't," Sirius responded coldly to himself. "Dumbledore doesn't know anything about him!"

Dumbledore and his relationship with Harry was something that bugged Sirius to no end. To Harry, Dumbledore always seems to be the voice of reason… almost like… like a parent. Sirius's hands gripped the blankets in anger. Harry had able to tell Dumbledore what was bothering him and trusted him. He suspected that Dumbledore may have influenced Harry so that he has stayed rather normal with good morals.

Through all his years at Hogwarts, Harry has shown nothing but respect for Dumbledore, and looked to him for guidance and answers. Sirius felt the need to go to Hogwarts and rip Dumbledore's head off himself. A part of him wanted Harry to tell the old man to stop interfering with his life.

"What do I do, Prongs?" Sirius asked the empty room. His hatred for the Headmaster was the same as he felt for the Dursleys.

"Everything okay?" he heard a voice call out. Sirius raised his head to see Remus standing in the doorway looking depressed..

Sirius sighed. "When is it ever okay?" he asked dramatically.

"Dumbledore?" Remus asked knowingly as he walked in and sat down next to him.

"He's part of the reason," admitted Sirius grumpily. "Tell me, is it wrong of me to want to go to the school, kill Dumbledore, and bring Harry back here so that I can keep an eye on him? He's fifteen, Moony. He should be focusing on Quidditch and his O.W.L.'s but instead Dumbledore's keeping him in the dark, making him worry even more. What am I supposed to do?"

Once he'd finished talking, Sirius reached for his usual bottle of Firewhiskey until Remus pulled the bottle from his hands.

"HEY!" Sirius yelled in annoyance.

"Drinking won't solve anything, Padfoot," chastised Remus firmly. "It's all you ever drink anymore."

"Is that a problem?" Sirius asked grouchily.

Remus sighed, "Sirius… I admit that I think that Dumbledore could go about this in better ways. He's acting as if Harry's suddenly going to turn into Voldemort. But there's nothing we can do about it. I mean…"

Sirius snorted as anger flared inside Sirius at the mention of Dumbledore. It was then that he noticed Remus's terrible expression and asked, "What's with you? You look like you're about to be sick."

Remus didn't answer, but Sirius knew right away what it was about.

"Tonks?" he asked and was pleased to see the startled expression on Moony's face.

"You knew that Tonks was moving in," he said. It wasn't a question; just a statement.

"Yeah, I knew," Sirius said brightly. "She asked me yesterday. What's the problem? I thought you'd be happy she was spending more time here."

"Well, yes," said Lupin nervously. "But… why is she moving in? Is it really necessary? Wouldn't she prefer her own flat?"

Sirius grinned. "I think she prefers to be wherever _you_ are."

"Sirius…" Remus began stiffly, standing up and pacing the room. "Tonks and I are friends, nothing more."

"What's the matter with you?" said Sirius crossly with his eye on the Firewhisky bottle that was still in Remus's hands. "Don't know what you've got to complain about. You're free to leave this godforsaken house and do something useful. And to top it all off, you've got the girl of your dreams in the same house."

"I told you, we're just…"

"Friends, right," said Sirius sarcastically and waved his hand at him. "You always were a lousy liar, Moony."

"So I have feelings for her, so what?" said Remus heatedly. "It's not like I can do anything about them. She's…"

"A grown woman with a mind of her own," Sirius finished for him. "And you can't sit there and tell me you haven't thought about it."

Remus blushed. "Well…"

"I knew it," said Sirius, smirking. "And thank god for that. Because if you hadn't I'd start to wonder if you had human feelings."

"We're friends," Remus repeated weakly, but he didn't look at Sirius. "That's all we can be. If I… occasionally have thoughts about her that weren't completely innocent, that's just something I'll have to learn to control."

"My god, would you listen to yourself?" said Sirius, shaking his head. "No wonder you were made a Prefect."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" said Remus in anger.

"I'm just saying, it's a basic human need and nothing to be ashamed of," said Sirius, grinning. "Man can't live by bread alone is all that I can say to you, mate."

"Good god," said Remus, shaking his head and smiling in spite of himself. "You haven't changed. You sound just like we were in school."

Sirius chuckled and smiled good-naturedly. Remus wasn't sure what he was going to do. Was he the only one who saw that he and Tonks couldn't be together? Truth was he was afraid to feel this way. Afraid to know what pleasure felt like, what joy felt like? Afraid to be happy. Because he knew he could lose that happiness at any moment.

He closed his eyes. He was exhausted. He had no idea what to do. He wanted to be with her so badly. But he couldn't. If she got hurt because of him, because of what he was, he'll never be able to live with it. With himself. What if he forgot to take the potion someday?

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, his smile fading.

Remus hesitated and told him about the conversation downstairs.

_*Flashback*_

_Tonks glared at him and stood right in front of him to make sure he looked at her. "No wonder you were a teacher," she said simply._

"_Tonks," sighed Remus for what felt like the millionth time. "But my condition… it's a part of me, I can't—I can't change it no matter how much I want to. What if I forget to take my potion again? I'd be dangerous-"_

_"I don't care," said Tonks firmly. "Dammit, Remus, what is it going to take for me to get through to you? I don't care what you are! What are you afraid of? That you might be happy for five minutes? I don't give a damn that you're a werewolf, I think you're wonderful no matter what! I want to be with you and you want to be with me and we could actually be happy! What is wrong with that? I'm an Auror. I'm used to danger, you know? You can't protect me from everything!"_

_"I CAN protect you from me if nothing else!" Remus finally yelled. "We're at war! People are going to die. People are going to get hurt. I can't do anything about it. But I refuse to hurt you because of my condition."_

_She stared at him for a moment, her eyes stricken and furious._

_"That's what it comes to, does it?" she said slowly. "It's all about you. You and your __condition__. You and your desperate need to push people away because you're too scared of letting them get close! You're running away because you're scared to feel anything at all!"_

_"That's unfair!" Remus retorted._

"_Then tell me what it is that you want for once!" Tonks demanded exasperated. "Do you want me to go or not? If you do, then I'll leave! But only if that's what you really want! For once in your life, Remus tell me what it is __you__ want!"_

_Remus stared at her—her face and was torn. "I don't know," he muttered as he gently placed his hand on the side of her face. "I want to be near you… but at the same time I'm terrified. What if I make a mistake? What if something goes wrong? What if you suffer because of me? I just don't know what to do."_

_Tonks took his hand and held it in her own. "I want to hear from your mouth," she said softly. "How do you feel about me?"_

"_I can't…"_

"_But why?"_

_"Because it wouldn't be right Nymphadora!"_

_"Don't call me Nymphadora!" she protested heatedly, "And who are you to say what would and wouldn't be right?"_

_"It wouldn't," he insisted, shaking his head sadly as he looked into her large eyes, "You're too young for me-"_

_"You aren't that old and I'm not that young," she shot back, glaring angrily at him, "And if that's your only bleeding excuse… in case you forgotten, I'm a big girl!" she asked, her eyebrows doing that._

_"You don't want me," he said, and she snorted once again. _

_"And who are you to tell me what I do and don't want?" she hissed with her eyes narrowing slightly._

_"Because it's right!" he yelled, finally allowing his emotions to get the best of him._

_"What do you mean it's right?!" she yelled, and he growled at her in return. "I want to be with you! You want to be with me! And don't deny it I can see it on your face," she said, as he opened his mouth to protest her statement. _

"_I don't care," she said. "And I'm willing to wait around for you," she said, and he shook his head, "Don't you shake your head at me Remus Lupin," she said sternly, and he smirked slightly, "You know what a stubborn person I am," she said sternly, and he sighed._

_"No, no. This can't be happening. You can't love me. You're still young. You can find someone so much better," he threw out._

"_I need to ask you a question," she said coldly, "When was the last time you allowed yourself to be happy?" she asked, and his voice failed him. Remus couldn't answer because he didn't know._

_"Exactly," she replied, taking a step closer to him, "Just let yourself be happy," she said, and he sighed miserably. _

_"It's not that simple."_

_"It can't be that complicated," she said, nodding her head, "Let me help you."_

_"Dora I-__I…" Remus croaked and slowly began to lower his face to her own. He leaned in, their mouths only a centimeter apart before he pulled away. "I can't…" he muttered ashamed. "I'm sorry…" and he turned and left her alone._

_*End of Flashback*_

"That's what she said?" Sirius asked, close to laughter after Remus confessed about their talk. "You are astounding as always," he said, shaking his head. "I already knew that but…"

Remus ran his hands over his face.

"As much as I hate to admit it," Sirius said slowly. "But my little cousin is right."

"What?" Remus demanded.

"Look," Sirius sighed. "I know that you've been afraid of girls for as long as I've known you…"

"I'm not afraid!" Remus snapped back.

"Could've fooled me," Sirius smiled. "Anyway, come on, Moony. At least give it a try. I'm not saying go out and get married tomorrow. But how about a date? Doesn't have to be anything big. Go to a coffee shop and talk about politics for all I care! Tell you what, I'll pay for it! Just go out on one date with her. Is that too much to ask?"

"Sirius!" Remus began.

"I'm not letting this go until you agree to go out with her," Sirius grinned. "It'll be for you best interest to ask her already."

"Didn't you read about my transformation in the book?" Remus asked desperately. "That was… terrifying! How she couldn't have been scared off…"

"She's an Auror," Sirius reminded her. "Don't tell me that you forgot about that? You make it sound like she's a helpless little kid who needs someone to watch her 24/7. Though it's true that she can't walk a straight line without tripping over her own feet… but that's not the point! I've got a simple solution. Just don't go out on the next full moon."

Remus gritted his teeth before he got up and left the room. "You—" he began but then trailed off; as if he didn't know how to put his feelings into words. "You make it sound so easy."

He left after that. But not without taking a long swig from the bottle of Firewhisky that was still in his hands.

_*A couple days later*_

The three of them spent most of their time ignoring each other. Tonks worked long hours at the Ministry, Sirius wandered around the house moaning about having nothing to do, and Remus hid in his room—unsure what to do. Sirius and Tonks often had dinner together with Tonks telling Sirius about things like how The Quibbler was proving to be a very hot seller and how the centaur Firenze was the new Divination teacher. Sirius would then tell Remus in the morning.

"A piece of irony," said Remus one morning over coffee. "Umbridge got rid of one teacher only for Dumbledore to hire another non-human to teach. That must've been a hard slap in the face to Umbridge."

"Bet she loves that, eh Moony?" Sirius smirked.

But things had just taken a dramatic turn for the worse later that day.

It was just the end of March and in the late evening Tonks burst into the kitchen, tripped over her own feet and fell face-first into the floor.

"Tonks!" Remus asked in astonishment as he put his book down and helped her up and into a chair. "What's the matter? What happened?"

"Trouble," she hissed back. "Where's Sirius?"

"Upstairs with Buckbeak," he said quickly. "Why?"

"Get him," she said quickly. "He needs to hear this."

Remus's brain was racing; dreading the worse, he practically flew up the stairs, and to where Buckbeak was kept.

"Sirius," he called loudly as he knocked loudly on the door. Apparently the panic in Remus's voice had scared Sirius because he heard running footsteps and the door was flung open.

"What is it?" Sirius demanded hoarsely.

"Tonks is here," Remus explained quickly. "She wants us both downstairs. Something's wrong."

"Harry?" said Sirius, his back stiffening and his eyes widened in terror.

"I'm not sure," Remus confessed. "Come on."

They hurried back down to the kitchen—Sirius actually pushing him several times in his hurry to get there.

They found Tonks there, sitting on a chair, and looking pale. Once they entered, she stood up.

"We've got trouble," she said in a rush. "Umbridge caught them. Harry, his friends I mean. She knows about their little Defense group."

"WHAT?!" they both yelled out in panic.

"I know," she whined. "Kingsley's at the school now. Along with Dawlish, Percy Weasley, and—of all people—Fudge."

"Fudge is there now?" said Remus, alarmed as Sirius groaned. "What's he doing there?"

"What do you think?" snapped Sirius bitterly. "He's trying to find any excuse to expel Harry."

"Or arrest him," said Tonks. And Sirius froze. "If he gets the chance, he'll have the kid sent off to Azkaban tonight if he had his way."

Sirius looked like he was about to faint—Remus took his shoulder and steadied him. "It's alright Sirius…" he began as he helped him into the nearest chair.

"The hell it is!" Sirius yelled in panic and forcing himself back up.

"It hasn't happened yet!" Remus reminded him. "And even if it did, we would never let that happen! Let's just stay calm and think this over. We don't know what's happening yet."

"Dumbledore better get Harry out of this," Sirius said and began to pace the room. "If he gets him out of trouble then I swear that I'll take back—20% of the billions of things I've ever said about him."

"Oh, I don't know how he can," said Tonks upset. "Somebody ratted them out. Somebody in the defense group went and blabbed about it to Umbridge."

Sirius sat back in his chair and gripped his hair. "If I ever find out who did this I swear that I'm gonna…"

"Sirius, relax," said Remus sharply before Sirius could finish his threat. "Panicking does us no good. If Kingsley is there, he might be able to help. And Dumbledore is there let's not forget. He'll think of something; he always does."

Remus's words seemed to close the matter—but no one relaxed. Tonks began to play with the helm of her sleeves as Sirius had taken the bottle of Firewhisky and poured himself a glass, gulped it down, before he quickly poured himself another. He repeated this until the bottle was empty and was looking around for another one. The only sound in the room now, was the ticking of Tonks's small watch and the sounds of them all breathing.

The minutes stretched, and they continued to sit there—expecting the worst. Remus felt obliged to say something, anything to calm Sirius down, but his mouth had gone dry the longer he was forced to sit there.

He knew that there was no way that Dumbledore would ever allow Harry be sent away from the castle—especially to Azkaban. He also knew that Dumbledore would be able to get Harry out of trouble, but at what cost?

At that moment there was a large flash of flame so loud and bright that all three of them jumped up and drew their wands—expecting a Death Eater.

But when the smoke cleared, Remus's eyes came to rest upon a magnificent scarlet and gold bird Fawkes… who was perched on the arm of a grim looking Albus Dumbledore.

**IMPORTANT: READ THIS!**

**(YAY! The story is finally done! I hope that you all love this final chapter! And thank you all for your patience. We will now be moving on to the Goblet of Fire. It'll hopefully be up in a few days. I'll be putting up an Author's Note here telling you all when it is so you don't need to worry. Hope you all enjoyed this story—and for those of you who have been asking—I will finish the Goblet of Fire for sure. Whether or not I do Order of the Phoenix I'm afraid that you'll have to wait until the end of Book 4 to find out. I will also be doing a Reading the books story for the Deathly Hallows. But that will be a separate story where the teachers of Hogwarts read it. When I am done with this series, I'll be putting it up. And for those of you who are no doubt going to complain about how I wrote Sirius… I just wanted to tell you that I know that Sirius loves Harry more than anything else in the world. It's just that the Sirius Black that I read about in Order of the Phoenix made me think that he was acting more like a concerned friend than an actual parent. And we can see Harry trying to act like James for Sirius there as well. That's just how I see it. Please don't tell me about that. And as for those of you who don't like Remus and Tonks couple… I DO! Remus needs someone like Tonks, and Tonks needs someone willing to put up with her. I hope that's everything. And I will be putting up Goblet of Fire as soon as the first chapter is done with. Again, thank you all and I hope you enjoyed my story.)**


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